Tigress Among Wolves
by Blu3b3rryT3a
Summary: Here the demon-slaying sister of Michael MacLaren goes to Beacon Hill to live with family- only to find she has more to worry about than demons, Shen and dragons... East meets West and the Tigress meets the Wolves.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi! I do not own Teen Wolf or the Dark Heavens/Journey to Wudang books! I do own my OC and hopefully this will not be a train wreck. Please review and let me know what you think! As for timeline… I'm setting this at the beginning of season one of Teen Wolf and between books Red Phoenix and Blue Dragon. If you have no clue what I'm talking about, it's fine, I'll probably explain it eventually.**

**Glossary:**  
**Ch****ǎ****o m****á**** shi**\- Stir-fried Shaanxi Pasta  
**Xuan Wu** (Putonghua)- North Wind, God of Martial Arts and Water, Black Turtle of the North, referred to by his human name John Chen or 'Mr. Chen' by Briar  
**Kwan Yin**\- a Buddhist icon, Goddess of Mercy, referred to by Briar as 'Miss Mercy'  
**Bai Hu **(Putonghua)- West Wind, White Tiger of the West, Briar's father  
**Triad**\- Gangster  
**Sifu** (Cantonese)- Master  
**Shen**\- Can mean an Immortal being, similar to a god (mostly found is Chinese mythology) and/or the spirit within a person and the energy of their soul  
**Chi**\- Energy that exists in all living things.  
**Wu shu** (Putonghua)- General term for all martial arts  
**Kata** (Japanese)- a set of moves to practice with a weapon or hand to hand  
**Xie xie** (Putonghua)- Thank you  
**Zài jiàn** (Putonghua)- Good bye  
**Ho ak** (Cantonese)- Okay  
**Chikushō** (Japanese)- Hell or shit  
**Bái mù** (Putonghua)- Blind, stupid, reacting badly to a situation not fully understood  
**Shǎ zi **(Putonghua)- Blockhead  
**Qù sǐ** (Putonghua)- 'Go die!' Or 'Go to Hell!'  
**C****á****o** (Putonghua)_\- _Fuck or 'to fuck'  
**Cào nǐ zǔzōng shíbā dài** (Putonghua)- 'Fuck your ancestors to the eighteenth generation', a very serious insult  
**Chǔn lǘ** (Putonghua)- Jackass

Briar MacLaren sighs as she steps out of her aunt's car and stares up at the Martin house. Her tawny blond hair is bound back in a long ponytail, accenting her golden skin. She is fairly tall, standing at 5'9" while wearing very battered jeans and a t-shirt that proclaims 'Insert Coffee for Functional Human Being'. Her hazel eyes flicker over the house as her aunt gets out of the car.

"I was so surprised when your mother contacted us about you coming here!" Cynthia gushes as Briar pulls out her bags from the trunk.

"Are you sure you can carry all of that? It seems awfully heavy-"

Briar winces, swearing internally.

_C__á__o! Look weak, look weak, be normal-!_

"Actually, they **are** a little heavy. Could I have some help?" Briar asks politely.

Cynthia smiles in understanding.

"I'll have my husband come out and help- might as well put his brawn to use!"

Briar nods and waits as Cynthia fetches her uncle. He comes outside scowling and Cynthia fluttering around him in a panic. Briar's eyes narrow but she keeps a polite mask as she politely bows to her uncle.

"Thank you for having me, I understand that this was unexpected and I beg your understanding and patience." Briar tells him.

"_Honey catches more flies than vinegar."_

Her uncle hmphs and grabs a bag, grunting under its weight. Briar hides a grin: he grabbed her 'armory' bag. Briar snatches the other and follows him up the stairs to her room. He dumps her bag on the bed and leaves without a word. Cynthia sighs as she stares at her husband's retreating back before turning back to Briar with a slightly forced smile.

"Would you like to rest or-?"

"I would love to take a nap." Briar interrupts her, eager to be alone.

Cynthia nods in understanding and exits, closing the door. Briar lets out a sighs as she looks over her room.

_So small._ She thinks, comparing it to the one back in Hong Kong.

Shrugging, Briar unpacks and carefully stows her clothes, practice weapons and the real articles. Briar pulls out two small shrines and sets the first up in the north corner of the room, the second goes in the eastern corner. She carefully checks her work before unwrapping and placing the two deities into the shrines: Xuan Wu and Kwan Yin. She bows to both before placing small offerings in front of them. The last thing she removes is a black wooden box holding her sword. Opening it, she stares down at the black sheathe, the gold and black hilt. She swallows hard as memories well up.

"_Hah! You're such a trend follower, Briar!"_

"_Shut up, Michael! Like 'White Tiger' is such a great name- it's just means you're a carbon copy of Dad!"_

"_Hey! Don't even kid about that! And I'm not the one with a sword named 'Dark Tiger'!"_

"_That does it! First one to touch both knees to the floor loses!"_

"_You're on!"_

"_Michael, Briar, knock it off!"_

"_But Leo-!" The twins protest at the same time._

"_I don't want to hear it. And don't let Lady Emma or Mr. Chen catch you doing this again or you'll both be sharpening the armory!"_

"… _Fine." Michael grumps._

"_Got it." Briar clips out._

_The twins glance at each other. Briar mouths 'Later.' Michael smirks at his sister. _

'_You're on!' He mouths back._

"_I saw that." Leo tells them as he leaves the dojo._

Briar shakes her head, warding off the memories as she lays down on the bed.

_Stop it. Go to sleep. You need it._ Briar orders herself.

For once, her body complies.

…

Briar groans as she sits up on the bed, her stomach growling.

"Monica, I want chǎo má shi-!" She groans, before starting at the unfamiliar walls.

"Where-! Oh. America." Briar rubs her head and gets out of bed, grimacing at the time.

_Three in the afternoon in Hong Kong equals shittastically late in California- great. Jetlag, I hate you. Not as much as Simon Wong, but I still hate you._

She sighs before wandering down the stairs to the kitchen; to her dismay, there isn't much there aside from yogurt and apples. Groaning, Briar eats both and pulls on shoes and clothes suitable for outside. She notices a note on her nightstand and reads it.

Briar,

Your house key is on the small table by the main entrance-

I know you are tired so feel free to rest before school starts up tomorrow.

Lydia will be driving you there and helping you with finding your way around.

I hope that you will enjoy your stay with us!

From your loving aunt,

Cynthia.

Briar smiles at her aunt's thoughtfulness before walking out, locking the door as she goes. Pushing her hands into her pockets, Briar starts down the street before noticing a path leading into the woods. Curious, she pauses, considering it then shrugs.

_Might as well explore._

Briar enters the woods, noting the differences between China's forests and this one. She feels herself relaxing- the air is much cleaner here than in China and her chi is much stronger than usual. Suddenly she hears barking in the distance. Briar pauses, listening hard.

The barks fade until only the sounds of the forest fill the silence. Briar listens but hears nothing out of the ordinary. Slowly she starts to walk again, on alert. Later she wouldn't be able to say what it was that caught her attention- the sudden silence, the weight of something staring at her or feeling uneasily she is no longer alone.

Briar subtly shifts her feet into a relaxed fighting stance, casually pulling her hands out of her pockets to blow on them. An abrupt scream catches her attention and Briar's head snaps in that direction. She breaks into a run, jumping over fallen logs and dodging various trees. She comes to a small hill and sees a boy near her age laying on the ground clutching his side.

Briar rushes down next to him, checking him for demon essence.

_Not a demon- regular human._

She judges as she drags him to his feet.

"Wh-who are you?!" He stammers, trying to stanch the bleeding.

"Briar. You?" She says tersely, eyes scanning the area around them.

"S-Scott. Scott McCall. We need to run away before it comes back-!" He whispers.

A low threatening growl cuts him off. Briar turns and spots a creature she has never seen before. Immediately she checks to see if it is a demon; no such luck.

_A western mythological creature on my first night in America that probably wants to eat me. How is my luck THIS bad?_ She wonders in amazement.

_Not even Lady Emma's luck is this awful!_

Briar quickly shoves Scott away from the creature, knowing she can't protect him and fight this thing.

"Go! Now!" She orders, keeping her eyes on the creature.

It snarls at her and Scott hesitates.

"But-!"

"I. Said. GO!" She all but roars at him, keeping her body between him and the beast.

Scott breaks and runs, leaving her alone to face the beast. It tilts its head at her, seemingly surprised by her decision to stay between him and Scott. Briar locks eyes with it and shifts into a basic fighting stance, balanced on the balls of her feet for greater mobility. Its eyes flicker between her and Scott, indecisive. Briar takes a deep breathe, knowing her next action was not something she would be sharing with her family.

Ever.

Especially if she didn't want to get lectured by Lady Emma, Leo, Mr. Chen, Jade, Gold, Michael, her mom and Miss Mercy.

"What's the matter? Too scared to go after a wounded boy if a scrawny teenage girl is in your way? Well? Are you really such a coward?"

Briar taunts him, hating how much she sounds like Bai Hu. It roars and charges her. Briar ducks the arm sweeping at her, steps diagonally to its charge and twists to stomp kick its knee. The beast staggers as Briar smoothly turns to face it, her attention fully focused on her opponent. It growls lowly at her and recovers quickly, trying to pounce on her. She tucks and rolls, letting it fly over her and land awkwardly on the ground.

_Strong but so slow! I would judge it comparable to a Level 40 demon at most… Got to stay out of its' grip!_

By the time it rights itself, Briar is calmly facing it, unscathed. The creature hesitates, unsure of how to deal with her. She tilts her head at its hesitant behavior.

"Already scared? My, it doesn't take much to deter you does it..?" Briar mocks it.

It roars furiously at her and bounds forward, intent on maiming her. Briar stays put and shifts to a much broader stance as she summons up her chi into her hands. Her hands start to glow golden as the creature gets within striking distance. Briar releases her breathe in a long, slow exhale before her hands blur, deflecting the beast's arms and slamming into its torso with multiple hits.

Snarling, it tries to trap her in a crushing bear hug, but she dodges between its legs and maneuvers behind it. Her hands smash into its spine and legs as she grimly works to knock it off balance or impair it. It staggers and mimics her earlier move to leap away from her attacks. Briar lets it, staying put as it turns to glare at her with its' crimson eyes.

"… What are you? You are clearly no mere beast."

Briar murmurs, watching it closely. Its ears twitch as she speaks and she could have sworn she saw amusement and irritation on its face. Briar's eyebrow rises.

"And you understand human speech."

It huffs at her, clearly annoyed. Briar smirks at it, tossing her ponytail over her shoulder.

"Why don't we call it a draw- I have no doubt we will run into each other again." She suggests softly.

It snarls at her angrily.

"You will not get past me- I will cripple or kill you before I allow you to hurt that boy again." Her voice is calm and matter-of-fact.

Unyielding.

He blinks as he realizes she is perfectly serious- he can sense her fear, but it is tightly controlled. Manageable. And her heartbeat did not waver in the slightest as she threatened him, an Alpha werewolf nearly three times her size.

Briar keeps her eyes level and unwavering as she stares down the beast. One. Two. Three. Four- it spins and bounds off into the darkness, leaving Briar alone. She releases the breathe she had been holding and starts walking back to her aunt's house.

…

The alarm clock drags Briar into the waking world, making her groan in protest before she staggers out of bed. Blearily, she opens her closet and stares blankly at the clothes in her closet.

"Chikushō!" She swears in Japanese.

"What the hell am I supposed to wear?!"

"Hmm. Sounds like someone needs fashion advice." A dry voice says from the doorway.

Briar spins and barely stops herself from swearing again- Lydia smirks at her in amusement. Her cousin walks in and critically examines her clothes.

"Hmm, this green top, this black skirt with the gold flower pattern, those adorable black boots and your white leather jacket." Lydia decides.

Briar smiles gratefully.

"Xie xie Lydia! I'll be out in less than five, so please tell me we have time to get coffee or tea-!"

Briar starts throwing on clothes, quickly tugging them into place, throwing her hair into her customary ponytail and zipping up her boots. Lydia quirks her eyebrow at how fast Briar was getting dressed.

"Don't worry, we have time. Now, make-up. I think I have a nice green eyeshadow you can use to bring out your eyes- you'll have to supply your own lipstick though." She says breezily, marching back to her room.

Briar lets out a sigh and does some basic eyeliner and mascara, then pulls out her jasmine scent and rubs it onto her neck and wrists. That done, she goes to Lydia's room for final touches. Lydia smiles in satisfaction at Briar's appearance.

"You certainly brush up well- of course you are _my_ cousin so it makes sense. Now, close your eyes this will only take a second." Lydia orders.

Bemused, Briar complies and twitches at the tickling sensation of the small brush.

"There. Done! Now there's my smoking hot Chinese cousin!" Lydia proclaims, pleased with her work.

Briar rolls her eyes at Lydia.

"What are you talking about? I'm always smoking hot!" Briar mock-pouts as she slings her messenger bag over her shoulder.

Lydia scoffs.

"Oh please, you looked like something the cat dragged in."

Briar rolls her eyes and darts into her room to grab some workout clothes. Lydia taps her foot impatiently as Briar scrambles down the stairs.

"Admittedly, mornings are not my favorite time of day." Briar yawns, covering her mouth with one hand.

Lydia pats her shoulder sympathetically and gets the car started. Thankfully, Lydia goes to a drive-in coffee shop where they order breakfast and coffee. Briar scarfs her breakfast sandwich in record time and carefully folds the napkin on her lap, crumbles and all, then crumples it for later disposal.

"You're rather hungry."

Briar shrugs.

"It feels like the middle of the night to me." She eyes her coffee cup.

"I might need a refill." She muses, knowing this was going to be an awful day.

Lydia sighs and parks the car. Briar walks in step with her up to the school, where she spots Scott. She waggles her coffee cup in greeting, ignoring his dumbfounded expression. The boy next to him is bouncing agitatedly and tries to catch Lydia's attention, failing miserably. Briar smiles slightly; so Lydia has a decently cute boy crushing on her, hmm?

_Decent blackmail material._

Lydia greets a blond guy who is fairly attractive and introduces them.

"Jackson, this is my cousin Briar MacLaren from Hong Kong. Briar, this is Jackson, he's my boyfriend and captain of the lacrosse team."

Briar smiles at him.

"Nice to meet you- at least I'll know someone other than Lydia now."

He nods, eyeing her speculatively.

"And one of the best. Lucky you." He boasts, leaning against a locker.

Briar hangs onto her smile, working to control her temper.

"I suppose I am. Excuse me, I need to pick up my schedule."

The couple nod and Briar makes her escape. Thankfully she finds the office fairly easily and the office attendant helps her with everything, including a map of the school. She reads her schedule and frowns. English? At least it's not Chemistry the first thing in the morning. Briar shrugs and navigates to the classroom, constantly checking her map.

She finds the door and enters, noting Lydia and Jackson are there as well as Scott and his friend. Briar waves at them then goes to the teacher to explain who she is and shows her schedule. The teacher is very helpful, not nearly as strict as some of her past teachers. Briar is given a seat near Scott's bouncy friend and Lydia.

Briar pulls out a notebook and mechanical pencils, arranging them neatly on her desk as she waits for the bell to ring. Then something lands on her notebook. Briar picks it up, curious- a note? She unfolds it and tries to read the chicken-scratch.

Scott said you were in the woods last night.

Briar glances at Scott's friend and quirks her eyebrow imperiously. He blinks at her, not understanding. Briar sighs.

"We're sitting right next to each other. You can just ask me-wait, what's your name?" She asks, distracted by not knowing what to call him.

"Stiles. I'm Stiles and you are the mysterious and commanding Briar that faced off with the not wolf creature because California hasn't had wolves in 60 years. Did you get hurt too? How did you find Scott? Did you get a good look at the creature?" Stiles barrages her with questions.

Briar blinks and sends a quick mental thank you to Emma, Leo and her mom.

_Thank you for making me practice English!_

"I do not know what it was-"  
_True._  
"It was very fast, but didn't seem to cope well with someone being very confident and aggressive to it."  
_True.  
_"I was not hurt."  
_Truth. _  
"I followed the screams." Briar answers him, staying as honest as she can.

Stiles taps the desk as he processes the information. Briar quietly sighs in relief; she hates lying, but omitting information is not as awful an evil. Stiles opens his mouth to ask another question but the bell cuts him off. Briar turns her attention to the teacher as she outlines her expectations for the class, making detailed notes. The opening of the door catches her attention and she blinks, seeing another girl (rather cute) walk in with the vice principle.

"Class, this is Allison Argent. She and Briar MacLaren are new transfer students so treat them kindly." He nods in her direction and Briar idly waves her hand in acknowledgment.

The teacher indicates Allison to sit down and she chooses the seat behind Scott. He turns and offers her a pencil, which she takes with a puzzled smile. Briar puts it out of her mind as the teacher resumes the lesson.

After class Briar heads to Lydia's locker, knowing she would be somewhere nearby. What she hadn't expected was seeing her tiny cousin cornering the brunette that came in late.

"Lydia, are you making friends or intimidating her?" Briar asks, leaning against the locker in amusement.

"Making her feel welcome and admiring her taste, obviously." Lydia corrects Briar.

Briar raises an eyebrow.

"So you're new too? I'm Briar MacLaren, Lydia's cousin. Not that the vice principle didn't say that, but still, I like to introduce myself properly." Briar offers her hand.

Allison shakes it gratefully.

"Allison Argent." Briar smiles at her.

"It's not so bad here- if I can figure out this school then you can too, especially with Lydia's help."

Lydia smirks and tosses her hair over her shoulder.

"Obviously- you would be lost without me!"

"Clearly she is a truly humble person." Briar deadpans, keeping her expression very polite.

Lydia whacks her shoulder, Briar's polite mask breaks while she starts laughing as she dodges. Allison watches in amusement as they mess with each other.

"Where did you transfer from, Briar?" Allison asks as they walk.

"Hong Kong." Briar replies without missing a beat.

Allison blinks in surprise.

"Whoa, that's-"

"Far away?" Briar suggests, watching how everyone is staring at the three of them.

Allison nods mutely.

"Someone want to tell me why the new girls are here all of five minutes and they're already hanging with Lydia's clique?"

Briar turns and spots Scott and Stiles gossiping together.

"Because they're hot and hot people herd together." Stiles replies with a shrug.

"How nice to know we appeal to the opposite gender, right Allison?" Briar drawls.

The boys freeze while Lydia smirks and Allison blushes. Briar takes a pic of their faces (_so worth it!_) and pockets her phone.

"Lydia, what're you doing after school?" Briar asks, feeling the length of the day getting to her.

Lydia fluffs her hair.

"Going to watch the try-outs for lacrosse, of course! Our team has won the Championship three years in a row!"

Briar blinks and tilts her head.

"What's lacrosse again?"

Lydia stares at her, scandalized.

"How are you my cousin and yet don't know about lacrosse?!"

Briar rolls her eyes.

"Sorry Lydia but we focus on badminton, table tennis, soccer and basketball in Hong Kong. Though we watch rugby." She muses thoughtfully.

Lydia rolls her eyes.

"Well, lacrosse is where it's at so pay attention!"

Briar and Allison listen in amusement to the rendition and basic outline of rules in lacrosse as they walk to the field.

"… Can girls play?" Briar asks, intrigued.

Lydia blinks.

"We only have a boys' team."

Briar rolls her eyes.

"I'm going to go ask." She says, leaving Allison and Lydia on the bleachers.

The coach is a very active and spastic person, blowing his whistle as he orders players on and off the field.

"Excuse me?" Briar interrupts his rant at another player.

He turns and looks her over.

"Who are you?"

"Briar MacLaren, Coach. I am a transfer student. I was wondering if I could potentially try out for your lacrosse team."

He blinks and looks her over.

"Well, you're not playing in a skirt."

Briar nods her understanding.

"I have other clothes, Coach."

He stares at her and sighs.

"Sure, why not, we have extra gear. No favoritism. If you pass, you pass and are on the team. Do great and you're first string! Suck and you're gone!"

Briar smiles at him.

"I better get changed then."

He waves her off and focuses on the other players. Briar finds the girls' locker room and swiftly changes into worn leggings, a sports bra and long sleeve t-shirt. She switches her boots for tennis shoes and walks out to present herself to Coach Finstock. He eyes her and then points to the pile of lacrosse sticks and gear.

"Try to find something that fits- you'll get body-slammed a lot in this game." He warns her.

Briar looks through the equipment and finds a set that is small enough for her uses, then grabs a lacrosse stick. She goes and joins the other players, much to their discomfort.

"Coach! Why is a girl on the field?" One of them yells out.

"She's trying out!" He bellows.

The guys gape at him.

"But what if we hurt her? Won't we get into trouble?"

Briar sighs.

"No, you won't since I asked to do this. If it's easier for you, pretend I'm a guy." She tells them, putting on her helmet.

"McCall! You're up!" Finstock yells at Scott.

She shifts her attention to Scott and watches as he gets hit in the face with the ball. He shrugs it off and guards the goal, getting into a groove fairly quickly.

Judging by the other's reactions, Scott is doing very well, especially when he catches a _very_ fast ball. Finstock goes wild when he sees that. Jackson glares at Scott while Stiles and Allison cheer him on. Scott waves back awkwardly to Allison and high-fives Stiles before sitting down.

Then it was Briar's turn.

"MacLarpy!"

"MacLaren, Coach." Briar corrects him patiently.

"Your test is to get the ball from here into the goal- anything goes except death!"

"Coach, that's not exactly right." Another player speaks up, a nice-looking boy with short brown hair and a sweet smile.

Coach glares at him.

"Don't interrupt me, Danny!"

Danny shrugs and mouths 'I'm sorry' to Briar. She nods at him then collects the ball, eyeing the way the defenders are lined up. She charges and the first defender goes to slap her stick away- she whips it from the left side of her body to the right as she side-steps him, protecting the ball. Briar keeps moving, using quick feints and side steps to evade her opponents.

_This is fun!_

Distracted, she almost misses seeing the other player rush her. Briar instinctively plants one hand on his helmet and leaps over him, tucking and rolling as she lands. She checks to see if the ball is still in her lacrosse stick- yup, it's still there. Determined, Briar runs for the goal, easily out-stripping the other players with sheer speed.

Once she gets close enough she whips her lacrosse stick to throw the ball. The goalie's eyes widen as he tries to block her throw, but she fakes him out and flicks it into the lower left corner instead of the upper right. Lydia cheers from the stands and Finstock yells something excitedly. Briar steps to the side, unsure of what she needs to do now.

"MacLarpen! What the hell was that?!"

Briar blinks at him.

"MacLaren, sir. I threw it into the goal."

"You did! And you know what that means?!"

"No sir."

He grabs her shoulders.

"You're on the team! Do another run just to make sure it's not a fluke though, okay?"

Briar nods and returns to her starting position.

"Stilinski! Whitmore! McCall! You're defending! You ready, MacLarky?!"

She makes a thumbs up at him and he blows the whistle, Scott wincing. Briar takes advantage, rushing him. His head comes up and his eyes widen comically as she quickly covers the distance between them. Jackson charges in, trying to trap her between Scott and himself. Briar smiles.

_Perfect!_

She suddenly pivots and changes direction, heading for Stiles and leaving Jackson running full speed at Scott. The two boys have to scramble to avoid slamming into each other while Briar only has to deal with Stiles now. Stiles valiantly tries to smack her lacrosse stick but Briar is having none of that.

She moves her stick at the last second, drawing him to put most of his weight on his left leg while she darts past him on the right. Briar bares her teeth in a fierce grin then she notices Scott and Jackson are right on her ass!

Grimly she picks up the pace into a full sprint, barely staying ahead of them and slamming the ball into the goal. Finstock blows the whistle excitedly.

"MacLarpy! You're in! That was fantastic! Make sure to get proper gear before the first game! You'll stay on the bench the first few games until you learn the rules, got it?!"

Briar nods.

"Yes sir. It's MacLaren sir." Then she glances at her fellow teammates and bows slightly to them.

"Thank you for playing with me. It was educational."

Jackson stares at her coldly while Stiles and Scott blush and look adorably bashful. Briar goes to the bleachers and Lydia is waiting for her, tapping her foot impatiently.

"I had no idea you could move like that."

Briar rolls her eyes.

"There is a lot you don't know about me, Lydia."

Lydia gives her an up-down glance.

"Clearly. We should talk about that- get to know each other."

"After I get cleaned up and I'm cleared to go- I also need to find out where to get lacrosse gear." Briar reminds her, heading for the girls' locker room.

Lydia and Allison trail her, chatting while Briar does a quick shower and pulls on her nice outfit. Briar grabs her things and walks with Lydia to her car. Allison breaks off, explaining she was getting a ride from her dad. Silence falls between Briar and Lydia as they drive home.

"How could you move like that? You were dodging the other players so easily…" Lydia prods, pausing at a light.

_Shit! I can't tell her that I spent the last year and half fighting demons and being trained by the God of Martial Arts! Augh, what can I say-! Wait, I can still say I learned martial arts- I started learning from Leo, who is actually normal in comparison to everyone else…_

"I started to learn _wu shu_ ormartial arts about two, three years ago with Michael. It kept him off the streets and out of gangs, which is the main thing Mom wanted. I went with him because guys were starting to bother me and it was safer to be with my brother. Then I just- it clicked. It felt natural and it's useful and I love it."

Lydia gives Briar a sideways glance, not missing the longing in her voice as she spoke of training in martial arts.

"Then why did you leave? Mom was really surprised when she got the phone call from Aunt Rhonda, asking if you could stay with us."

Briar clenches her hands and forces her body to relax.

"… Did you know that Michael was part of a gang for a while? When he was about twelve?"

Lydia stops the car and stares at her in disbelief.

"Michael? _Our_ Michael? A Triad?!"

Briar nods curtly.

"It was stupid but he was in a rebellious phase and wanted to do something idiotic. He's not with them anymore but they still want him back. The Big Brother of all Big Brothers has a- fetish for underage boys and girls. And no one ever sees them again once he gets his hands on them."

She swallows hard, trying to block out memories of Simon Wong's sickeningly gleeful face.

"He wanted Michael back, but he also wants to punish him for leaving. So he threatened to rape me in front of Michael if he didn't come quietly. That- and other things."

Briar clams up, unwilling to say anymore. Lydia's mind whirls with the implications of that statement.

"So you started learning martial arts to defend yourself, not just for fun…" Lydia muses.

"What about Michael? Did he move too?"

Briar shakes her head.

"Our current boss is our martial arts teacher and the Triad step carefully around him. I had a close call recently and Mom panicked. Michael is safe there. And if it gets really bad-"

Briar takes a deep breathe, making a sour face.

"We can go live with Dad."

Dead silence.

"… I thought you didn't know who your dad is." Lydia says eventually.

Briar grimaces.

"We do now; and I have to agree with Mom. He's an absolute bastard."

Lydia makes an 'uh huh' face, sympathizing. Briar sighs and rubs her face, unbelievably tired.

"Can we go home please?"

Lydia pats Briar's hand and nods.

…

Briar sighs as she gets up from her cat-nap, yawning. She knows she should try to stay up as late as she can to reset her internal clock, but she just can't find the will power to care. Groaning, Briar grabs black gi pants, a tank top and a warm jacket before walking out the door. She pauses, hesitating then shrugs and grabs her sword, sticking it into a carry bag.

_Maybe a few sword katas will wake me up._

She heads for the woods and makes sure her phone is on- unfortunately, talking in someone's head is a no-no unless it's an emergency. As Briar walks, she notes the differences from last night. The woods seem more open and welcoming than they do after dark. As she enjoys the peaceful feeling, it's broken by Stiles and Scott nearly stumbling into her.

"Wah!" The boys scream as Briar nearly kicks Stiles' head off reflexively.

She stops right before her foot would have made contact with his temple and she places her foot back down on the ground. Her glare is fierce enough to make both boys step back.

"Have your parents not taught you it's unsafe to startle people?" She snaps, pissed she had let her guard drop.

"N-No, but I don't think they were expecting a freaking ninja lady to nearly decapitate me with a kick!" Stiles retorts.

"I. Am. NOT. A. Ninja." She enunciates very slowly and crisply, her temper starting to boil.

"Ninjas are dishonorable cowards that refuse to face an opponent face to face, preferring to kill them with tricks and deceit. I will be **very **angry if you call me that again."

Stiles and Scott pale. Satisfied they would behave, Briar sighs.

"What are you two doing out here?"

"Looking for my inhaler." Scott replies.

_Huh. He must have dropped it last night._

Scott eyes her.

"What are _you_ doing out here?"

Briar smiles at him.

"Practice."

Stiles and Scott blink.

"Practice?"

Briar nods firmly.

"Practice."

"Practicing what?" Stiles demands, peeking out from behind Scott.

Briar shrugs and looks Scott dead in the eye.

"Defending helpless teenage boys from not-wolves-but-totally-is-despite-what-statistics-say." She says sweetly.

Scott flushes and Stiles opens and closes his mouth a few times.

"So, you're looking for an inhaler?" Briar breezily changes the topic.

They blink and refocus, looking around. Briar heads straight for where she remembers seeing Scott the first time. She pauses, feeling someone staring at her. Briar turns slowly, the boys oblivious to her tension as she tries to pinpoint where this feeling is coming from. A flash of green catches her attention and she spots a tall man with dark hair and green eyes watching them. She reflexively checks to see if he's a demon.

_Not a demon… But is he normal? Hard to say. Best to be polite._

Briar nods to him in greeting.

His eyebrows quirk upwards. Briar frowns when he fails to return the greeting.

"What are you doing here? This is private property." He growls, scowling.

Briar's frown turns into a scowl of her own.

"I dropped my inhaler here last night," Scott explains.

The stranger's eyes flicker with emotion, too quickly for Briar to understand. He wordlessly pulls out something from his pocket and tosses it to Scott. She notes the heightened reflexes and eases into a neutral stance- if he attacks, she is at least prepared. Stiles and Scott retreat moving away when the man calls out to them.

"What's your name?"

"Scott. Scott McCall." He replies before continuing on, only to pause when he sees Briar hasn't moved.

"Briar?" He asks her, uncertainty showing in his voice.

"I'll see you later, boys. I still have to practice." She tells them, keeping her eyes on the stranger.

"We're not helpless!" Stiles protests loudly.

Briar rolls her eyes at him. The stranger tilts his head, a cold glint coming into his eyes. She deliberately steps between him and the boys, gently ushering them along.

"Go home."

"But-!"

"Go." Briar cuts Stiles off firmly.

Scott turns and gives her a determined stare.

"We're not leaving you alone with him!"

Briar snorts. Loudly. The idea of Scott and Stiles trying to protect her is too funny.

"I'll be fine- besides, if the Big Bad Wolf didn't eat me, what makes you think he will?" Briar asks, patting Scott on the shoulder.

Unbeknownst to her, the stranger stiffens at her casual nickname. Stiles and Scott grumble but move along, glancing back at her frequently. She waves at them and waits until they're out of sight before fully facing the stranger.

"What did you mean by 'Big Bad Wolf'?" His low voice breaks the silence between them.

Briar smiles slightly.

"You tell me, mister-?"

"Answer the question." Briar keeps ahold of her smile- barely.

"Honey gathers more flies than vinegar."

He blinks in surprise at her reply.

"What?"

"Honey gathers more flies than vinegar." She enunciates each word very clearly.

His face grows more confused- it was actually rather cute, if she weren't pissed at him.

"What the hell does that mean?" He snaps.

Briar smirks at him.

"A way to interpret 'honey gathers more flies than vinegar' is manners gather more information than rudeness. You have so many questions- yet you can't even answer one in return…" She muses, deliberately provoking him.

His jaw clenches when he starts to understand what she is getting at.

"Derek." His voice is tight with anger.

Briar nods in greeting.

"Hello, Derek. My name is Briar. Are you a local?"

He looks away from her.

"Not anymore."

Briar purses her lips and lets it go; there's a story there, but she is not going to delve into those depths.

At least, not today.

"I'm new to America, so I am not familiar with the local animals. But what I saw last night… was rather large for a mere animal." She admits to him, keeping an easy distance between them.

His gaze sharpens and he steps toward her, in what he probably thinks is a menacing style. Briar tilts her head back, unimpressed by his posturing.

"And what animal was it?"

She smiles at him.

"I already told you. A big." She steps forward, getting into his space.

"Bad." Another step.

"Wolf." She breathes, making him lean away.

"But you already knew that." Briar remarks, stepping away from him with a smirk.

His eyes widen then his face becomes expressionless.

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Briar tsks him, wagging a finger.

"You'll have to lie better than that~!" She reprimands him.

His eyes flash and he blurs, grabbing her upper arm. Briar immediately steps to be parallel to his grip, twists her arm free and springs a full twenty feet away. She lands lightly, smiling at his stunned expression which transforms into a hard mask.

"What are you?" He growls, his eyes flashing ice blue.

Briar tilts her head, intrigued.

"… Your eyes are blue, the beast's eyes were crimson." She murmurs, thinking aloud.

Derek starts to stalk towards her, clearly done with talking. Briar sighs and pulls Dark Tiger out of its carry bag, not drawing it but ready to. He pauses at the sight of the sheathed sword, eyes flickering over her face before twisting in a snarl.

"Hunter!"

Briar blinks.

"Eh?"

Before she can utter another word, he charges her and attacks, slashing at her. She immediately twists out of the way, slapping his claws away from her. Her confusion turns to annoyance.

"Alright you bái mù! You want some, shǎ zi, come and get some!" She snarls back, shifting her grip on the sword sheath.

Derek needs little prompting, punching her face. Briar snaps her head out of the way, thrusting her sword between his legs and twisting, taking his balance. He staggers and Briar slams a kick into his solar plexus, knocking him back. Grimly she gets in close and starts targeting nerve centers in his arms and shoulders. Derek roars and head-butts her, cracking her skull.

Briar instinctively blocks the next blow with Dark Tiger and thrusts, forcing Derek to retreat. She blinks to clear her eyes and barely dodges Derek's charge in time. Swearing profusely, Briar strikes one of his knees as she pivots, his leg crumpling. She steps behind him and gets him into a choke hold, cutting off his air.

Derek smashes his elbow into her ribs, making her wince but squeeze even tighter. Then, clearly done pretending normalcy, his fingernails turn into claws and tear into her forearm. Briar let's out a strangled scream, _furious!_

"Qù sǐ! Cào nǐ zǔzōng shíbā dài!" She roars, smashing her foot down on his knee with a distinct 'crack'.

Derek thrashes and rips her arm open harder, weakening her grip. Briar takes a chance and strikes his head with an elbow, trying to knock him unconscious. No dice. He throws his weight forward and Briar lets him drop, leaping away from him. He stands painfully, rubbing his throat and glaring at her thoughtfully. Briar glares back with interest, keeping her injured arm close to her side. His eyes flicker down to her arm and he seems briefly remorseful before going back to studying her.

"What are you? You don't smell human."

"Ha! I'm _half human_, thank you very much! And I could ask the same of you, chǔn lǘ!" Briar spits, keeping her injured side away from him. "Especially since you're not a demon or a Shen!"

His face betrays surprise before smoothing out.

"Shen? Is that what you are? What do you mean exactly by 'demon' and 'Shen'?"

_Cào! Way to go, Briar!_

"Like I would tell the shǎ zi that tried to kill me!" She snaps, feeling light-headed.

Blood oozes down her arm and she takes a chance, ripping the jacket sleeve off and binding a rough bandage around the wound.

"You're not healing."

Briar glances up and sees Derek's intense interest locked on her arm.

"Not right this second it won't!" She huffs, annoyed with the entire situation.

Derek walks over warily, barely limping. Her eyes narrow.

"I broke your knee so how are you walking on it?" She asks bluntly.

"…" He seems to struggle with himself.

Briar rolls her eyes.

"Silent stoic type, huh? How about this- I point you in the right direction for what I am and you do the same for me, since I know zip about Western mythology."

He gives her an incredulous stare.

"… Where the hell did you come from?"

"Hong Kong." She replies without missing a beat.

"…"

"…"

"That explains your choice of swear words."

"Mhm." Briar agrees cheerfully.

"…"

"…"

They stare at each other awkwardly.

"You first." Derek orders, crossing his arms.

Briar waggles a finger at him, shaking her head.

"Nope~ you first!"

He glowers. Briar laughs outright at his expression.

"… What do you think the Big Bad Wolf is based off of?" Derek finally replies.

Briar blinks, tilting her head.

"A… Wolf?" She hazards a guess, frowning.

Derek rolls his eyes.

"My turn- what are you?"

Briar sighs.

"You are _so impatient!_"

He glares at her.

"What beast embodies the West wind?" Briar asks, leaning against a tree.

He blinks.

_Hah! I'm not the only one in the dark! Enjoy, sucker!_

Briar smirks and slips Dark Tiger back into its bag.

"Zài jiàn, Derek." She turns to go, only for him to block her way.

"What does the west wind have to do with anything?" He demands, getting in her space.

Briar glares up at him then bares her teeth in a terrifying smile.

"More than you know." She brushes past him and walks away, ignoring his stare.

…

Lydia glances at Briar's arm and gives her a disbelieving look.

"You fell."

"I fell." Briar agrees, opening her locker with a wince.

She was tired and Leo's lecture about safety made her wish she hadn't video called him last night for instructions on how to stitch herself back together. It had gotten worse of course when Emma heard her voice and walked in as Briar started sewing herself up. Then shit had hit the fan.

So, lucky her, Briar got to sit through _four lectures!_ One each from Leo, Emma, Michael and Mr. Chen about lying low and not aggravating unknown supernatural creatures. Hypocrites. Then Mr. Chen laid down the law, ordering her to attend school and not to get into fights unless strictly necessary. Especially with Derek Hale and the red-eyed wolf beast thing.

Sighing, Briar rubs her eyes and yawns as she enters her next class, Chemistry. Mr. Harris is a stern taskmaster, but with Lydia as her lab partner Briar got through it, despite moments of confusion over various chemical names.

"So, you will be helping me set up the house for tonight's party, right?" Lydia questions her as they walk towards lacrosse practice.

Briar nods.

"Of course- why wouldn't I help? Oh, that reminds me, I have gifts for you, Aunt and Uncle."

Lydia smiles at her.

"Excellent! I can hardly wait! Now, go be a wonderful addition to our lacrosse team!"

Briar smiles wanly and goes to the girls' locker room to change; Lydia had known a shocking amount about where to buy lacrosse gear. Must be a side-effect of being the girlfriend of the captain. As she steps out onto the field, Coach gestures for her to come over.

"MacLacksy!"

"MacLaren, sir."

Briar corrects him politely. He points his finger at her and Briar's eyes widen at his bad manners.

"Whatever, you're sitting on the bench and observing today!" He orders.

Briar opens her mouth, hesitates and nods.

"Yes sir." She makes her way over to the bench and sits.

_This might be a blessing in disguise- but doesn't he know pointing is bad luck?_ She muses, propping her chin on her lacrosse stick.

Stiles sits down next to her, trying and failing to look casual. Briar glances at him and turns her attention back to the field.

"You okay?" Briar blinks at the question seemingly out of the blue.

"Yes, just tired. I video called my brother last night and stayed up too late chatting. Nothing some sleep cannot fix."

Stiles blinks at her.

"You have a brother? Why isn't he here with you? Is your family separated?"

Briar suppresses a groan.

"Yes I have a brother, he's my twin, Michael. No we're not separated, Mom just wanted me to spend time here in America. Why he's not here isn't your business." She firmly closes the subject, not wanting to talk about it.

Stiles frowns at her- it's rather adorable. Briar ignores him and watches Scott do some rather fancy moves, even doing a flip to score a goal! Everyone goes wild while Briar watches in confusion.

_He got it in the goal, so that was good, but was he really that great?_

She decides to interrogate Lydia later- her boyfriend is the captain so of course she should know if that was a good play or not. Briar notices Jackson is getting irritated and frowns.

_Is he jealous of Scott? Eh, not my problem._ She dismisses, wincing when Stiles yells in her ear.

After practice, Briar pulls on her blue long-sleeve shirt and white leather jacket, making sure the bandages are well hidden.

_Maybe I should take a first aid class… Leo's not always around to give medical advice._

"Hey, Lydia?"

"Hmm?" The strawberry blond glances at her as they drive home.

"Do you know where I can sign up for First Aid classes?"

Lydia blinks and taps the steering wheel in thought.

"The hospital might be a good place to start, or the school nurse. Why do you ask?"

Briar smiles and mixes fact with fiction.

"One of my sifu mentioned that First Aid is always a good thing to know, even if you never have to use it. He recommended I learn it since he wasn't around to wrap any sprains I get. Also, I like being able to rely on myself rather than wait for someone to tell me what to do."

Lydia hums and nods.

"You ready for the party?"

Briar rolls her eyes.

"Girl, I was born ready for parties!" She grins at Lydia.

"Let's make this a smashing success, alright?" Briar laughs.

"Of course~!" She grins.

…

Briar leans against a wall, people watching. She can't help but reflect on how the vibe is different from the clubs she used to frequent. It's not a bad change, mind you- just… different. Sighing, she pulls the long sleeve down and resists the urge to scratch- the damn gashes are incredibly itchy. Scanning the crowd she spots Lydia making out with Jackson.

Rolling her eyes, she mingles, casually scanning and checking for demons.

_None- is it because I am outside of China?_ Briar wonders, bemused.

Then an utterly **rude** person bumps into her and keeps going without apologizing! Her eyes snap up and track the asshole, looking for a suitable place to ambush them. She spots them near the pool. Smiling, Briar silently paces behind them and taps them on the shoulder. The a-hole spins and- it's Stiles.

_Of course it's Stiles._

Her grin widens.

"Hi, Stiles."

He blinks and falters, opening and closing his mouth like a fish.

"Uh, hi, Briar! Nice party, really something, gosh it's hot in here isn't it?! I better go find some air!" he turns to flee, but Briar isn't inclined to let him escape so easily.

"Oh? But we're already outside, Stiles~" She purrs, swaying closer.

He gulps and frantically looks around.

"Oh, we are? How did I miss that, ah ha ha ha ha… Look, it's been scary, I mean great talking to you, but I need to go!"

AS he spins to go, Briar grabs his arm and puts it in a casual arm lock, effectively restraining him.

"Not until we have had a talk about proper manners, Stiles~" She whispers in his ear.

"S-say what? I don't have time for this!" He panics, trying to yank himself out of her grip.

"My, in such a rush? You could _hurt _someone, Stiles. You certainly were _rude_ earlier, bumping into me and leaving without giving an apology." Briar murmurs, twisting a notch further.

Not enough to bring him to his knees, but close enough. Stiles whimpers.

"Remember, manners are important. Nice chatting with you~!" Briar says breezily, releasing him and wandering through the crowd.

She spots Scott and Allison almost-but-not-quite-making-out on the dance floor. With a sigh, she continues wandering until she notices a tall figure in a dark leather jacket. Briar's eyes narrow.

_Derek. Why are you here?_

She tilts her head, observing him- he seems to be staring at someone specific on the dance floor. Her eyes flicker, calculating angles before she realizes he is staring at Scott like a predator. Waiting for a moment of weakness before pouncing. Briar stalks forward, allowing her temper to simmer to a boil as she closes in on Derek.

He doesn't see her until she steps right in his line of sight, startling him. His eyes narrow.

"Good evening, Derek. I do not believe you were invited to this event- care to explain to me why you are here?"

"Not your business." Briar's smile sharpens.

_Bad move._

"Oh, but it **is** since my cousin is hosting this event. Unfortunately for you, I take my responsibilities _very seriously_, especially if I think our guests might be in _danger._"

His gaze heats with anger at her insinuation that he might hurt one of the teenagers partying.

"So. I will ask again." Briar steps close, getting into his personal space.

"Why. Are. You. Here?"

Derek locks eyes with her and it becomes a battle of wills. But while Derek had brooding to give him an edge, Briar was used to facing down Triads, demons, her father and random Shen trying to marry her. Honestly, it's embarrassing how goddamn annoying her 'suitors' could be. It ends with Derek looking away first and sighing heavily.

"I'm worried."

Briar juts her hip out and crosses her arms loosely, wincing as the move pulls her stitches.

"About?" She demands softly.

His eyes flicker to her arm and then back to her face. Briar scowls at him.

"How's the arm?"

She scoffs.

"If you thought _that_ would distract me, you're wrong; I give you 2 out of 10. Now, who are you creepily watching and worrying over?"

He grimaces.

"You're not going to let this go, are you?"

Briar smiles at him, showing her teeth.

"Why would I answer a question you already know the answer to?"

He snorts.

"… Perhaps I was hoping you would let this go."

Briar's expression turns sad.

"I can't." She tells him simply.

"I've seen what happens when people don't care."

Derek eyes her appraisingly before making a snap decision.

"McCall."

Briar tilts her head at the confirmation of her earlier observation.

"Why him?"

"He's a danger to himself- and others."

"… Does it have something to do with how he's faster than average?" Briar says after a pause.

Derek stays quiet.

"… You are _very_ bad at answering questions." Briar accuses.

Derek opens his mouth to retort when a sudden shout catches their attention; they spin and spot Scott running away into the night. Allison stands in the middle of the dance floor, bewildered. Derek watches Scott leaving with an inscrutable expression before moving towards Allison. Briar falls in step with him, her instincts screaming at her to keep him away from the other girl.

"Hey there," Derek says with a charming smile- a false one, Briar notes.

Allison blinks at Derek's abrupt greeting and (awful) warm smile. Rolling her eyes, Briar steps in.

"Hi Allison, this is Derek- don't mind him he's a shǎ zi," Briar introduces them blandly.

Derek shoots her a glare but Briar doesn't back down. Allison raises her eyebrows at the pair of them before Derek speaks again.

"Yeah, I'm a friend of Scott's- he's not feeling well and wanted to make sure you got home safely, so I'm here to offer a ride." Allison hesitates, much to Briar's approval.

"Don't worry, I'm riding along. Besides, I want to see your house!" She cuts in, taking pleasure in the flash of anger in Derek's eyes.

Allison smiles tentatively at her and nods.

"I would appreciate the ride, thank you."

As Allison gathers her things, Briar remembers something and grins.

"Oh, Allison, I'll be right back, don't leave without me!" She orders then rushes upstairs to her room.

After frantic searching she finds a small statue carved of jade. Her hands touch it reverently before she places it in a silk bag and bounds downstairs, deftly avoiding the hormonal and drunk teens. Allison and Derek wait by a Camaro, one impatiently while the other seems unnerved. Briar smiles at both of them as she saunters up.

"Sorry for the wait~! Shall we?" Briar chirps as she opens one of the rear doors.

Allison smiles and slides into shotgun while Derek glares at Briar grumpily before getting into the driver's seat. During the drive, Briar relaxes, noting that Americans are far politer at driving than anyone she's seen in Hong Kong. Eventually they pull up to a respectable house and Briar slips out, opening the door for Allison.

"I could have gotten that," Allison tells her dryly.

Briar merely laughs.

"Indeed you could." She agrees, chuckling.

Linking arms with the other girl, Briar escorts Allison to her front door. She raps on the door and waits patiently. It opens, revealing a commanding woman with red hair- she rather reminds Briar of her own mother. She blinks, seeing Allison and her eyes flicker over Briar, assessing her.

"Allison? I didn't expect you back so soon."

Allison flushes.

"I know-"

"Who is your friend?" Her mother (Briar can only assume this is Allison's mom) cuts her off.

_Show time._

Briar holds out her hand with a charming smile.

"Briar MacLaren, ma'am. I'm one of Allison's friends and Lydia Martin's cousin."

Mrs. Argent raises her eyebrow as she shakes her hand firmly.

"Allison has talked about you- I heard you moved from Hong Kong?"

Briar nods, unfazed.

"My mother thought it would be a good idea for me to spend some time in the States. I rarely get to see my American relatives." She says smoothly.

_Truth._

Mrs. Argent purses her lips thoughtfully.

"I see- I hope you take care of Allison for me at school."

Briar nods solemnly.

"Yes ma'am. Also, here is a gift."

Briar pulls out the silk pouch and presents it with both hands. Allison blinks in confusion and Mrs. Argent quirks an eyebrow, accepting it. Undoing the strings, she pulls out a small statue of a serene woman seated on a lotus flower. She glances at Briar questioningly.

"This is Kwan Yin, the Goddess of Mercy," Briar explains.

"She is one of the most revered goddesses in Asia, having been said to have attained enlightenment and guided others on their own paths. As the Goddess of Mercy, she renders aid for those who ask, whether that be wisdom, peace, healing, luck, rest or insight."

Briar gives Mrs. Argent and Allison an honest smile.

"I hope she blesses your home."

Mrs. Argent looks down at the statue and then her daughter.

"Thank you, Briar. It was a lovely gift."

Nodding goodbye, Briar steps back and waves at Allison with a grin.

"Zài jiàn Allison!"

Briar goes back to the Camaro and slides into the shotgun seat, ignoring Derek's curious stare.

"Home please." Briar orders.

Derek growls at her, his eyes turning blue and she snaps around to pin him with her glare.

"I said 'please', so stop acting as if I affronted your personal honor. If you wish for a rematch- ask. But make certain the reason is worth the pain, _Derek._" Briar snaps.

Silence falls between them until Derek reluctantly starts the car. Briar stays silent as he drives her back to Lydia's, refusing to break the quiet built between them. They pull up and as Briar goes to exit Derek grabs her arm.

"… Stay inside tonight." He orders, eyes flashing again.

Briar is not impressed.

"Why?"

"Just _trust me_." Derek hisses.

Briar scoffs loudly.

"You have given me little to no reason to trust you!"

In a flash he snarls and his grip on her arm tightens. Done with his dramatics, Briar wrenches his pinky back and targets nerve clusters in his arm. He releases her arm and Briar speedily exits, only to lean through the doorway to glare at him.

"One more thing; I do not take orders from **you!"** She growls before slamming the door shut.

Her feet stomp loudly as she pushes past party-goers, her temper frayed.

_How dare he! How dare he, how dare he, how DARE he! _She seethes.

"Briar!" Her head turns towards the voice and she spots Lydia, alone for the first time that night.

"Come and join me!" Her bossy cousin demands.

Briar bites back her instinctive and selfish 'no' and walks over to her. Sighing with frustration, Briar sits while Lydia appraises her.

"What happened to you?" Lydia asks bluntly.

Briar groans inwardly.

"… I had an irritating conversation with a guy about manners." She sums up.

Lydia gives her a disbelieving look. Briar thinks fast and says the first thing that pops to mind.

"Lydia, you know western mythology, right?" Lydia tilts her head, pursing her lips.

"… I do. Why are you asking?"

"This guy set a challenge for me- he asked 'what mythological creature do you think the Big Bad Wolf is based off of?' But I can't figure it out! And the internet failed me miserably!" Briar tells her, pouting.

Lydia snorts and then her face turns thoughtful.

"Well… my guess would be a werewolf." She says finally.

Briar stares at her blankly.

"A what?"

Lydia stares at her in disbelief then amusement.

"A werewolf- a creature influenced by the full moon to transition from man to a wolf or wolf-like hybrid depending on your source. Also one of the most classic horror movie monsters. I take it you don't have those in China?"

"Nope- we have demons, Shen, dragons and a whole bunch of other crazy things." Briar explains, rubbing her arm.

Lydia laughs and let's Briar retreat to her room when she notices how antsy Briar is acting. After closing and locking her door, Briar glances out window and sees the full moon.

"_A creature influenced by the full moon."_

Lydia's words echo in her head as she stares at the white orb.

"_Stay inside tonight."_

This time Derek's warning come to mind as she thinks over what she has learned. Then she pulls out her computer and types in 'werewolf' the selects 'images'. Pictures of bipedal wolves, actual wolves or half-wolf/half-human hybrids fill the screen. Briar frowns until she notices an old-looking image of a beast almost exactly like the one she saw her first night.

Her mind whirls at the implications. Intrigued, she starts to research and stops after she reads a specific line.

Werewolves can propagate by biting humans, turning them into werewolves themselves. The human turned will heal any physical problems during transition, becoming stronger, faster and more acute of the senses.

Briar stares blindly at it.

_Scott… Scott was bitten by it. And from what Lydia says, he has become more athletic. And didn't he flinch at the Coach's whistle during tryouts?_

…

_Cào. Of course my life can't be normal._

Briar glances at the time and makes a decision, picking up her phone and calling Gold.

"_Briar? How are you? Is everything alright? Please tell me you didn't get into another fight."_ Gold asks her when he picks up.

Briar smiles slightly at his voice.

"I'm doing fine- I just had a quick question."

"_Go ahead."_ Gold tells her- she can easily imagen him tapping away on a laptop as he talks.

"Have you ever met a werewolf?"

There is a decided pause on the other end of the line. Briar starts feeling anxious but tries to control it.

"_Why do you ask?"_ Gold says eventually.

Briar sighs.

"I think I might have met at least three in the past week."

"… _I am fetching Mr. Chen and Lady Emma. Stay on the line."_

Briar blinks.

"Ho ak…." She says tentatively.

The next few minutes she fidgets and tries to relax but she can't help but feel tense: what does Gold know about werewolves and why would it cause such concern? As she stews she starts picturing the worst-case scenario: Xuan Wu ordering her to live in the Western Palace until Simon Wong is dead. Briar clenches her hands and then forces herself to open them.

"You'll deal with it, no matter what, you'll deal with it and survive." Briar tells herself before hearing noise from her phone. She picks it up hurriedly.

"… _I don't understand why both of us had to come!"_

"_Emma, you will be my Regent. If Gold has asked you to attend then it must be pertinent to our duties."_

"_Oh shut up, John! You just want me to deal with the Generals!" _Emma snaps.

Briar muffles a giggle: it is well known that Emma has been avoiding dealing with the Heavenly Generals much to Mr. Chen's annoyance.

"_Ahem. Briar, are you still on the line?"_ Gold interrupts the growing spat.

Briar clears her throat.

"Yes."

"_Can you set up a video call on your computer?"_

"Yes."

"_Then please do so."_ Gold requests.

"Ho ak."

Briar sets the phone next to her laptop and sends a video call to Gold's computer- he accepts the invite immediately. His face suddenly appears and Briar tries to ignore the twinge of homesickness as she sees Mr. Chen and Emma leaning over his shoulders, looking concerned. She snaps off a salute, left hand fisted and pressed into the palm of her right hand.

"Dark Lord. Dark Lady. Gold."

"_Ugh, I wish you all would stop calling me that!"_ Emma complains.

Gold and Mr. Chen smile at her familiar reply. Briar grins tauntingly at Emma.

"Is there a problem, my Lady?"

Emma glares at her.

"_Twenty five level one katas when you fully recover from your injuries."_ Emma orders with a glare.

Briar conceals her smile

"Ho ak, my Lady."

"_Briar. Gold informed me you had something to report,"_ Mr. Chen cuts in.

Briar nods shortly.

"I believe I have encountered at least two werewolves, based on evidence gathered my Lord."

Mr. Chen frowns thoughtfully as Emma looks flabbergasted.

"_Werewolves?! Are they real too?!"_ Emma demands, glaring at Mr. Chen and Gold.

Mr. Chen nods, thinking hard.

"_They exist, though I have had little contact with them. I know they can be vicious opponents, rivaling low to mid-tier demons. Bai Hu estimated they can grow powerful enough to kill a Level 50 if they use pack tactics and the Alpha, or leader, is doing a majority of the damage."_ His eyes narrow thoughtfully.

"_What was your impression of them, Briar?"_

Her brow furrows with thought as she slowly chooses her words.

"Dangerous physically, but not dangerous tactically speaking. Rather straightforward to fight. They are stubborn, instinct-driven, challenging… Capable of reason." She grumbles the last one reluctantly.

Emma, Gold and Mr. Chen exchange glances before looking at her again.

"_Do you feel safe?"_ Emma questions her, tone gentle.

Briar pushes her hair out of her face, letting them see her exhaustion.

"… Yes. They don't scare me the way One Two Two does: I fought the red-eyed one without Dark Tiger and managed to get away without injuries. The other was skilled but I still could have taken him down."

Emma nods, while Gold and Mr. Chen have a moment where Briar would bet her savings was a private mind-conversation. At Briar's amused smirk, Emma turns and realizes what the two are doing.

"_Out loud!"_ Emma snaps, putting her hands on her hips.

Mr. Chen and Gold look at her sheepishly.

"_Sorry Emma."_

"_Sorry my Lady."_

Emma huffs at them, crossing her arms. Mr. Chen turns to look at Briar and his expression becomes serious.

"_It has occurred to me that since we know so little, perhaps you should learn what you can about the werewolves. In turn, if they ask, you may discuss what hides here in China at your discretion- but do NOT speak of Simone."_ His eyes burn into her and Briar gulps before saluting.

"I understand, my Lord."

His expression softens.

"_Do your best- we expect weekly updates!"_ Emma nods next to him, showing her support.

Briar has to laugh at that before nodding back and signing off. Leaning back in her chair, Briar turns her gaze at the moon, wondering how best to broach the topic of 'werewolves' with Scott. Definitely not Derek. No way was she dealing with that asshole again!


	2. Chapter 2

**And we're back! I do NOT own Teen Wolf or Dark Heavens/Journey to Wudang but I DO own my OC! This chapter will have more of a highlight of Briar's relationships with certain characters: Bai Hu, Michael and Lydia, for the most part. There will be interactions with Scott/Stiles/Derek, but plot-wise this will be a more flexible chapter in terms of the season. Please review and comment!**

**Glossary:  
Xuan Wu** (Putonghua)- North Wind, God of Martial Arts and Water, Black Turtle of the North, referred to by his human name John Chen or 'Mr. Chen' by Briar  
**Kwan Yin**\- a Buddhist icon, Goddess of Mercy, referred to by Briar as 'Miss Mercy'  
**Bai Hu **(Putonghua)- West Wind, White Tiger of the West, Briar's father**  
Snake Mother(s)**\- Female demon (minimum level is 50), spawns other demons, highly sadistic. Described as having the torso of a skinned man with toxic ooze coating the skin while the lower half is that of a giant snake.  
**Triad**\- Gangster  
**Sifu** (Cantonese)- Master  
**Shen**\- Can mean an Immortal being, similar to a god (mostly found is Chinese mythology) and/or the spirit within a person and the energy of their soul  
**Chi**\- Energy that exists in all living things.  
**Wu shu** (Putonghua)- General term for all martial arts  
**Kata** (Japanese)- a set of moves to practice with a weapon or hand to hand  
**Bái chī** (Putonghua)- Idiot, potentially mentally retarded**  
Bì zuǐ** (Putonghua)- Shut up!**  
****Cào** (Putonghua)- Fuck  
**Chǔn lǘ** (Putonghua)- Jackass**  
****Nǐ hǎo** ()- A general hello.**  
Shǎ zi** (Putonghua)- Blockhead**  
Wǒ de tiān a** ()- Oh my God or 'Oh my Sky' [literal translation]  
**Xie xie** (Putonghua)- Thank you  
**Zài jiàn** (Putonghua)- Good bye  
**Ho ak** (Cantonese)- Okay  
**Wěi** (I believe this is Putonghua)- Hello, a greeting similar to 'hi' in English

"Briar? Have you already thrown out the beer cans?" Lydia yells.

Briar huffs as she drags two garbage bags full of crushed beer cans to the recycling bin.

"Not yet!" She yells back, empting them with a sigh of relief.

She tosses the used bags into the garbage and walks back into the house, spotting Lydia wiping down table surfaces. Her cousin smiles, pleased with the extra muscle.

"Last things we need to do are vacuum and do a final check of the rooms- once, I found this one boy who had passed out in the guest room closet and ran out of the house half naked." Lydia gossips.

Briar smirks in amusement.

"Was it a good show?" She teases, retrieving the vacuum.

Lydia smiles cattily.

"He was passible- good muscles, but his abs were floppy." Briar laughs loudly.

"Not all of us have six-packs," Briar reminds her.

Lydia quirks her eyebrow.

"Oh? I could have **sworn** I saw some very impressive abs when you changed out of your pajamas~"

Briar rolls her eyes.

"Geez Lydia, I didn't know you swung that way!" She retorts.

Lydia flicks her hair over her shoulder with a sniff.

"Oh please, not only are you the wrong gender to fully satisfy me but you're also my darling cousin. So much **ick."**

Briar bursts out laughing as she helps her dictator of a cousin finish cleaning. After they finally finish (even though it was mostly Briar cleaning) Lydia grabs her purse and keys.

"Come on! We still have daylight to go shopping!" She crows.

Briar laughs as she grabs her own purse.

"Oh, I see how it is~! I slave away and you get to rest up for our shopping binge!"

Lydia rolls her eyes.

"Oh get in already!"

_Later…_

"I can't believe I spent three hundred dollars over my budget." Briar says, numb.

Lydia snorts at her before pulling in at the house.

"I call that restraint!"

Briar rolls her eyes at Lydia.

"You and Leo would terrorize every boutique in existence…" She mutters, helping Lydia carry three of her bags along with Briar's additional four.

"He sounds perfect then!" Lydia smirks, unlocking the door.

As soon as the door opens Prada races up and starts barking. Briar resists the urge to growl as she stalks to her room, tired from all the shopping and cleaning. Locking her door, she collapses on her bed and dozes off… only for her phone to ring.

Groaning, Briar fumbles as she grabs it and answers with a yawn.

"Wei?"

"Where are you?!"

Briar's eyes snap open at her father's voice and she sits up, completely awake now.

"Good evening, Father. Why are you calling me?" She slips into formal tones immediately, as if to counter his constant swearing and ill-manners.

"Evening?! It's morning and where in the ten hells are you? I'm picking up you and Michael today!" Briar stifles a groan.

"Father, I am in America- surely Mr. Chen, Lady Emma or Mom told you that I was living here for a while?"

"America?! Why the fuck are you in America?!" He roars.

Briar pulls the phone away from her ear with a wince.

"… Mr. Chen and Mom agreed it would be best if I was out of China. Especially after being a Snake Mother's plaything."

The phone hisses during the uncharacteristic silence on Bai Hu's end. Briar bites her lip, aware her father doesn't have a clue of how to handle the elephant in the room.

"… Where are you in America?" He finally asks, his voice gentle.

Briar closes her eyes and steadies herself.

"Beacon Hills, California. I'm staying with my cousin Lydia and Mom's younger sister."

"Stay there. I'll come to you." He orders, his usual bossy self-reasserting itself.

Briar sighs.

"Ho ak." She hangs up and glances at her closet.

Standing, she crosses and starts pulling on clothes for riding that are flexible enough for martial arts. Briar makes sure her shirt has sleeves loose enough to slip over her bandages. Sighing, she grabs her sword as well and sits on the bed, unsure of what to do next.

_Ugh, why does Father have to be such an inattentive asshole?_ Briar grumbles in her head.

A white light flashes and Briar sits up. It fades and leaves a tall Chinese man with shockingly white hair and impressive sideburns. His clothes are also white, a suit she would swear is Armani, and his eyes are a familiar tawny amber color. He smiles at her.

"Daughter Two Nine Eight."

Briar stiffens and bites out in a low voice.

"My **name** is _**Briar**_. Not Daughter 298, **Father.**"

He merely brushes off her words and nods approvingly at her clothing.

"You are ready to go- good." Bai Hu grabs her bad arm and she feels a familiar pitching in her stomach coupled by agonizing pain as they travel to the Western Palace.

Briar stumbles when the world resolves itself to brilliantly colored dessert, her face pale. Bai Hu blinks at her behavior.

"Two Nine Eight, what the hell is wrong with you?"

Briar grits her teeth at that detestable name and glares up at him.

"**Briar**, you **chǔn lǘ!** And **no**, I'm fucking **fine** you **shǎ zi!**" Bai Hu is surprised by her outburst and his eyes narrow.

"Watch your mouth!" He barks, glaring back at her.

Briar narrows her eyes as she gets to her feet.

"Why should I? You don't bother, so obviously it's fine to swear as I please!"

"I'm your **father**!"

"So? You sure don't **act** like it!" She yells, fired up.

Around them her various half-brothers watch and sneakily make bets on who is going to be the most offensive. Bai Hu steps forward and roars.

"**I am still your FATHER and deserve due respect!"**

"**FUCK that! Respect is **_**earned**_**, not given you womanizing dipshit! In fact, don't you have your shitty harem to impregnate? Why don't you go do that, since making shitty BASTARDS like me is the only thing you're good at!"** She screams back.

Her half-brothers wince- it's not far from the truth. Bai Hu is an excellent fighter and horseman, but he definitely loves women a touch too much. As Bai Hu opens his mouth to retort, he is interrupted.

"Briar!" A male voice yells and her half-brothers part for the newcomer.

Her head snaps up and a smile blooms on her face.

"Michael!" She yells and races over to hug her twin.

The resemblance between them shows as they step back and eye each other. Both have the same tawny hair, tan skin, hazel eyes and height, though Michael is taller than her by a few inches. Michael's eyes land on her injured arm and he frowns.

"Briar, how is your arm?"

Bai Hu huffs but secretly is pleased that Michael appeared, shamelessly listening in on their conversation. Briar frowns at Michael, irked he had brought it up.

"Fine, it's healing." She growls at her brother.

He ignores her tone and looks at Bai Hu.

"Sir, I'm taking her to the healers." He informs him before dragging Briar by her good arm.

"Michael! Let go, you **bái chī!**" She snarls, slamming her elbow into his ribs.

Michael grunts and readjusts his grip to protect his side as he marches her towards the palace proper. Briar drags her feet and quickly jams her free hand's fingers into pressure points on his arm. Michael yelps, releasing her and Briar takes the opportunity to jump away from him, a full ten meters apart. Bai Hu raises an eyebrow, feeling his curiosity growing as he watches the twins' squabble.

"Briar! Shit, will you just let them take a look?!" Michael roars.

"If I want to be examined by doctors, I'll go myself without being dragged!" She retorts, crossing her arms with a wince.

Bai Hu notes her brief expression of pain and glances at Michael.

'_Three One Five, what the fuck are you two arguing about?'_ He messages Michael directly into his mind. Michael's head snaps around to glare at him before relenting.

'_She was hurt fighting a werewolf less than a week ago. Briar had to stitch herself up but hasn't seen a doctor for it.'_

Bai Hu blinks and narrows his eyes. He flashes next to Briar, grabs her waist and teleports to the healers. Briar goes crazy, using every trick she knows to break out of his grip to no avail. When he releases her Briar jerks away and seems to curl into herself, shuddering. Bai Hu frowns but ignores her behavior, yelling at the medical staff to come look at her arm.

One of the doctors (another of her half-siblings) gently tries to examine her arm only to dodge a chi bolt. Bai Hu glares at her.

"Two Nine Eight, control yourself!" He barks.

She growls in response and forms another chi bolt, larger than the last. All the doctors prudently take cover while Bai Hu stalks towards her. The door burst open and Briar flinches, releasing the energy bolt. Michael ducks as it destroys the door-jam where his head was.

"Shit! Briar! Calm down!" He yells, wide-eyed.

Briar stares at Michael and trembles harder, wrapping arms around herself. She can see him and distantly hears his voice- but all she can focus on are memories _of crushing scales squeezing her body to the breaking point as she squirms. Her flesh is burning and her nerves are screaming from the unending assault as the Snake Mother tightens her grip. Briar flinches as mocking laughter fills her ears- her sole reward for her efforts and Briar screams as Leo is dragged to the center of the nest-!_

"_**BRIAR!"**_ Michael yells, gripping her shoulders and shaking her.

She blinks and her horror (and the memories that spawned it) fade as she focuses on his face.

"D-Don't-! Don't grab me like that again-! Michael, I couldn't-! I couldn't get **free!** I c-couldn't fight-!"

Michael looks at Bai Hu in a panic, out of his depth.

"Uh, Briar, what-?"

"Two Nine Eight! State your current location!" Bai Hu barks.

Briar stiffens under Michael's hands and her eyes burn copper as she stares at Bai Hu.

"Western Palace infirmary, s_ir._" She grits out between clenched teeth.

"And it is **Briar**,_ sir_."

Bai Hu nods in approval- he likes her spitfire temper tantrums better than her mental breakdowns.

"Let Two Five Eight heal that arm and then we can train- remember, we're reviewing weapon skills on horseback today. A gimpy arm with slow you down and make you next to useless." He states, ignoring her darkening expression.

Bai Hu locks eyes with Michael.

"Three One Five, stay with her until she is pronounced fit for combat drills."

Michael nods, grimly determined to stay with his twin. Bai Hu glances at the medical staff.

"Well? Get to work!" He orders before walking out the door.

The doctors in the clinic glance at each other until 'Two Five Eight' cautiously approaches the twins.

"Where is the injury?" He inquires, keeping his body language non-threatening.

Briar glowers but finally pulls up the sleeve of her left arm, revealing the bandages. Deftly they are removed under her intense stare, revealing sloppy stitches holding four parallel slashes closed. He whistles, lifting her arm to examine it more closely.

"Did you get in a tussle with a tiger- an actual one, not Dad." He amends, glancing at Briar.

She snorts.

"Nope, just a gloomy pain-in-the-ass werewolf who thought I was there to kill him or something. What's your name?" She redirects him, raising an eyebrow at him.

The doctor laughs, letting her get away with the subject change.

"Elliot, or 258 as Dad prefers to call me. So… a werewolf? Really?"

She nods, wincing as he removes the stitches.

"Yup- and since I still know next to nothing about them, care to fill me in?"

Elliot snorts in amusement before growing serious.

"Look, I've never met one- that I'm aware of, obviously. But from what Dad's let slip before, they have three distinct ranks: Alpha, Beta and Omega. Omegas are the weakest because they're lacking pack protection; usually they're the crazy-as-a-loon types. Some of them become man-eaters and are officially on the shit-list of any local packs or hunters once they consume human flesh. Dad, and a few of our sibs, have killed Omegas that tried to escape into western China in the past."

Michael and Briar blink at the veritable font of information, listening intently.

"Alright, that's Omegas- not a huge problem in the long run. Next are Betas- they're the average werewolf. Aggressive, hot-blooded and mostly instinctive fighters; their main strength is teamwork with a strong dose of ferocity, especially when directed by an Alpha. Not capable of turning anyone into a werewolf by the way- same for Omegas. Oh, a great way of setting off a fight with a Beta is challenging their dominance." Elliot explains, setting aside the clippers in favor of a bottle of antiseptic.

Briar groans when she sees the bottle but doesn't tug her arm free.

"What do you mean challenge their dominance?" She questions, desperate for a distraction from the bottle of _liquid pain_.

"They are hyper aware of their rank in the pack- the higher their position, the more power they have in the pack socially. It's similar to the system we have with the number one son, or daughter, having higher rank than everyone else save Dad or his wives."

Briar and Michael nod in understanding.

"Sooooooooo, super easy to piss off due to fragile egos- got it. But how does the Alpha fit into it?" Michael asks, his grip on Briar shifting so she doesn't accidently injure Elliot as he cleans her wounds.

Elliot snorts and makes a wry face.

"Do either of you know what 'Alpha' means?"

Both twins blink and shake their heads. Elliot sighs.

"It's the first letter in the Greek alphabet- it means 'first' or if you want to put it in a social context, the most dominant person in a group. Alphas are the leaders and the only ones with the ability to turn a regular human into a werewolf. Betas will defer to them unless an Alpha proves themselves a danger to the pack, in which case they can be challenged for the position. Dad said they're the biggest pains in the ass to deal with- they can take more damage, are stronger, faster and heal quicker."

"But… how do you determine which is the Alpha?" Briar says slowly.

Elliot smiles grimly.

"Alpha eyes glow red. Blue or gold means Beta or Omega. Hold still now," He warns her, guiding his chi into the wounds to prompt her body to heal faster.

Briar closes her eyes as the throbbing from her injuries is replaced by comforting numbness.

_So… if Elliot's words are accurate, then I've already met the Alpha- which makes Scott and Derek Betas or Omegas by default._

"There! Try to take it easy for the next few days, alright?" Elliot tells her.

Briar nods and stands up.

"Thanks- and sorry I almost blew off your head with a chi bolt." She rubs the back of her head, shamed.

Elliot simply laughs.

"Don't worry about it- someone has to keep us on our toes. Just try to avoid more injuries, alright?"

Briar nods and walks out, flexing her fingers with ill-hidden glee. Michael quirks an eyebrow at her.

"Ready to train?"

She nods then pauses and groans.

"I need to do twenty five level one sword katas first- Lady Emma's orders."

Michael smirks at her impishly.

"Sucks to be you~!" He taunts as he dodges her punch.

"Oh don't worry, you'll keep Michael- there's nothing stopping me from fighting you afterwards~!" She reminds him sweetly, unsheathing her sword.

Michael takes off, his face slightly paler at her threat. Briar shakes her head, chuckling and steps into the first stance of the kata.

_Nine hours later…_

Briar barely restrains herself from flopping on her bed but fails to contain a massive yawn. Bai Hu frowns at her but nods curtly in farewell, teleporting himself away. Sighing, Briar winces as her muscles protest but forces herself onto her feet and heads to the shower. The warm water nearly lulls her to sleep, so much so she barely dries off before falling flat on her bed and falls asleep.

And while her body is relaxed in slumber, Briar's dreams are anything but restful…

_Next morning…_

"Briar! You better not be sleeping the day away again!" Lydia yells through her cousin's door.

A muffled groan answers her and Lydia smirks as the sound of stumbling feet reach her. The lock clicks and Briar pokes her head around the door.

"Wei?" She yawns, politely covering her mouth absently.

Lydia gives her a once over and fixates on Briar's hair in abject horror.

"What the devil did you do to your hair? It looks like you dropped yellow seaweed on your head and let it mat and snarl into a rat's nest!"

Briar blinks, reaches up, touches her hair and frowns at the feeling of matted hair.

"Uh…"

"Honestly! Come on, let's fix you up so you look more human and less like Bigfoot." Lydia huffs, dragging Briar after her.

Briar tries to process what is happening- she really does, but staying up nearly 24 total hours straight (yey jumping time zones after a night of partying) leaves her in a very mellow mindset. So while Lydia combs out the mats and snarls, Briar dozes off in the chair. When the grooming stops Briar groans in protest, blearily opening her eyes.

Lydia's expression softens and for a moment Briar can see her cousin- not the queen bee or the lacrosse captain's girlfriend or the 'it' girl. Her adorable, somewhat spoiled, cousin Lydia who was always willing to play dress up or talk about detective stories. Briar reaches behind her and touches Lydia's arm, basking in the simple connection between them. Lydia raises an eyebrow at her and Briar smiles.

"I've missed you." She states simply.

Lydia's eyes widen and her mouth opens slightly, the way she does when she's unsure or surprised. Briar let's her hand drop and rolls her head back to stare at Lydia upside down, still grinning. Lydia sighs and bops Briar on the nose, causing Briar to squeak.

"I've… missed you too." She admits, not looking at Briar.

Briar nods and stay silent.

Nothing more needs to be said.

_Monday morning…_

"Nǐ hǎo Allison!" Briar calls, waving with her coffee mug.

Allison smiles, nodding back as Lydia and Briar fall in step.

"Hi Lydia, Briar. How was your weekend?" She asks politely.

"Tolerable. Usually cleaning up a party takes **all** of Saturday, but, since Briar started staying with us, we had it done by one! Then I took her on a shopping trip as a reward, only for Briar to fall asleep as soon as we got home!" Lydia gives Briar a mock glare, which she ignores.

Allison looks wary, unsure of what to say. Briar sends her a smirk and gently nudges her shoulder.

"Ignore her- she spits venom but she's still a softy under it all. For her special people, anyway," She adds thoughtfully.

"Everyone else better watch out."

Allison giggles as Lydia pouts at Briar.

"Stop trying to ruin my reputation!" She huffs before waltzing inside the school.

"Love you too, Lydia~!" Briar calls after her.

Briar winks at Allison and they both burst into laughter as they begin to follow the queen bee. Before they enter the building Scott appears, wincing under their combined stares.

"Hi Allison! Can I talk to you for a second?" He asks, fidgeting with his backpack strap.

Allison bites her lip hesitantly.

"I don't know Scott…"

Briar rolls her eyes.

"Apologize first, Scott: that is basic protocol of groveling for forgiveness." She states dryly, leaning against the wall.

Scott glances at her, panicked, and Briar merely smiles. He takes a breath to steady himself and looks Allison in the eye.

"I'm sorry I left you at the party, but there were circumstances-"

"I know, your friend said you got sick." Allison cuts him off, turning away from him.

He blinks then valiantly tries to regroup.

"Yeah, I got sick and believe me if I could have I wouldn't have left you there like that." He grovels, making puppy dog eyes.

Briar quirks her eyebrows.

"But you did- with no explanation." Briar reminds him idly.

Allison and Scott both turn to stare at her- Briar stands up straight and stalks over to Scott, forcing him to take a step back.

"You were a shǎ zi and I'm warning you… pull a stunt like this again I will use you as my practice dummy." Briar grins at him, showing her teeth.

Scott gulps and Allison appears torn between concern and badly hidden mirth. Briar claps him on the shoulder and saunters away, leaving them alone.

"See you in class~!"

She notices an older man with blond hair waving at Allison and smiles.

_I wonder if that was her dad…? I'll ask her later._ Briar decides.

_Later at lacrosse practice…_

Briar stands in line as she waits for her turn. Similar to her tryout drill, the aim was to successfully drive the ball into the goal while avoiding the defenders. Jackson was one of the two defenders with Danny as the goalie. Briar watches as Jackson successfully fends off Scott, driving him hard onto his back. Her eyes narrow as he resumes his starting position, cracking his neck.

She glances at Stiles- who looks worried. And rightfully so, as it turns out, when Scott slams viciously into Jackson's shoulder. Both boys collapse and Jackson crumples while Scott remains on all fours. Briar breaks into an all-out run, getting to the two boys first.

"Stay still!" She reprimands Jackson and glares at Scott.

"Go cool down: **NOW."** Briar orders Scott.

He meets her eyes with his golden ones but a quick flex of her Killing Intent gets the message across. Scott bolts for the boys' locker room; Stiles follows. Briar shakes her head in annoyance and glances down at Jackson.

"Your shoulder is dislocated." She tells him bluntly.

Danny, Jackson and Coach blink at her matter-of-fact delivery. Jackson narrows his eyes at her.

"What do _you_ know?!" He sneers.

Briar rolls her eyes.

"I worked at a martial arts school back home- one of the more common injuries were dislocated shoulders. I'm not setting this since I'm not a doctor- keep ice on it and strap it to your chest to reduce jostling. The sooner you get to the hospital, the sooner you can get checked out and patched up professionally."

She stands, nods to Coach and Danny then walks towards the boys' locker room. Briar doesn't bother to warn them- she just walks in as Scott starts to pounce on Stiles.

"Cào!" She hisses, blurring as she gets between Stiles and the young werewolf.

Scott's face had changed to a similar build as Derek's but with gold eyes and with all the intelligence of a rabid dog. Briar sighs and blocks the first blow with an open hand, redirecting the force to empty space while at the same time using a palm heel strike to his solar plexus. Scott drops, gasping for air and Briar gets him into a double arm bar, keeping him down.

Stiles stares at her with a mixture of awe and terror, holding a fire extinguisher at the ready. Briar smiles at him reassuringly.

"You alright, Stiles?" He blinks then seems to snap out of his daze.

"Um, yeah, yeah I'm fine, no biggie, just my best friend wolfing out on me and oh my god I thought Scott was going to-!"

"But he didn't." Briar interrupts, keeping her voice soothing.

"And even if I hadn't come in, you would have handled it Stiles." She nods meaningfully towards his impromptu weapon.

Stiles flushes.

"Wha- this? Nah, I mean I hope it would but it's not like I'm you, able to face down were… wolves." His words slow as he processes what he just said.

Stiles stares at her in abject horror.

"Oh, **shit!** Please tell me you're not one of those psycho hunters, Briar, please, please, please have mercy on Scott he was only turned a week ago-!"

"Stiles? **Breathe."** She orders, slightly concerned by his pale complexion.

He obeys, sucking in large gulps of air. When she judges him calm enough she answers his questions.

"No, Stiles, I am not a hunter. I figured out the 'werewolf' part on Friday, so you didn't spill the beans."

"How?" Scott grunts from under her.

Briar shifts to get a good look at his face- normal. She releases him and kneels between them.

"A story combined with little facts like you having become more active despite having asthma…" She explains dryly.

Both boys flinch then Stiles frowns at her.

"Why are you not freaking out right now? You should be totally freaking out and having panic attacks and-!"

"Stiles. Breathe." Briar reminds him.

He blinks at her, confused then pauses to focus on his air intake. Scott shares his friend's confusion, watching Briar warily. Briar scratches her head and mentally sighs.

"Okay boys, let's start with the simple stuff. One, Scott is a werewolf, a Beta to be specific. Two, he was turned a week ago. Three, I encounter my first supernatural creature in America the same night. Four, this is not my first encounter with the supernatural hence my 'freaking out' is minimal. Five, I learned to fight so I wouldn't be at a disadvantage in battle. You two with me so far?"

Both boys nod and continue to stare at her.

"We'll talk about this later- Stiles, I'll need to hitch a ride with you since Lydia took Jackson to the hospital." She stands and looks at them.

"Consider what set you off, Scott- that's the first step." Then she walks out of the locker room and returns to practice.

Stiles and Scott look at each other.

"Should we trust her?" Scott wonders, rubbing his chest.

Stiles frowns before choosing his words.

"… Maybe. She's not as scary as Derek and seems at least to have a clue about what's happening to you… But at the very least, she stopped me from spraying unpronounceable chemicals into your face so there's that."

Scott nods, a frown of his own on his face. Stiles notices and gives him a funny look.

"What's up Scott?"

"… When I- shifted on the field I was so angry and I just wanted to hurt Jackson… But Briar wasn't scared of me. She made me back down and leave the field and I don't know how she did it." He confesses in a whisper.

Stiles processes that and goes over what he had seen: Scott and Jackson colliding, then Briar _sprinting _over to them. She seemed to say something to Scott then he hightailed it out of there while she stayed with Jackson.

"… Well, we can always ask her." Stiles says doubtfully.

Scott nods slowly, thinking it over and then he notices the time.

"Ah! I need to get to work! Stiles, can you meet up with Briar, I've gotta go!"

Stiles gives him a disbelieving look as Scott bolts out of the locker room with his clothes stuffed into his backpack.

"Dude! Rude!" He huffs.

…

After practice, Stiles spots Briar sitting on the school steps watching clouds. He stares at her awkwardly then clears his throat. Loudly.

"Ah, hi, Briar." Stiles bumbles over his words.

She blinks then glances over at him- her face breaks into a warm smirk as she takes in Stiles' body language.

"Hey Stiles, how's it hanging?" She asks nonchalantly, leaning back on her hands.

"Good, good- okay, not so good but that's why we really need to talk." He says seriously.

Briar's expression softens then she nods and stands, throwing her bag over one shoulder.

"Then let's go." She says simply.

Stiles blinks as his brain processes what she said then he nearly trips in his haste to get to his Jeep. Briar waits patiently for him to unlock the doors before sliding into shotgun. The ride was… peculiar to say the least. Briar mostly watches the trees pass by while Stiles drums on his steering wheel and fiddles with the radio. Much to Stiles' relief, the drive to his house is over quickly and soon enough they are sequestered into his room.

Stiles sits in his chair and spins a pen around his fingers, eyeing Briar. She ignores his stare as she sits down on his bed and adjusts herself to her liking before meeting his gaze. She smiles wryly.

"You don't trust me." She states, watching his reaction.

Stiles' face goes slack in surprise- and fear before he schools his expression into a determined glare.

"What makes you say that, Briar?" He challenges, leaning forward.

Briar shrugs.

"You're tense, can't completely relax around me now and have kept me in your line of sight the entire way here."

Stiles blinks.

"Shit, you **are** a ninja!" He breathes.

Briar chucks a pillow right into his face, making him splutter and flail as he tries to remove it. When he finally manages it Briar is right in his face, looming over him. She smiles, showing off her teeth.

"What did I say about referring to me by that name?"

"… not to?" Stiles hazards.

Briar nods and pats his cheek.

"Good, try to remember this time."

Stiles scarcely breathes until she retreats back to his bed. Then something she said earlier clicks in his head.

"Wait, wait, wait, you said this 'isn't your first encounter with the supernatural'." Stiles exclaims, pointing at her.

Briar frowns at his bad manners.

"I did and that is true." She admits carefully.

Stiles jolts forward as he internally spazzes out.

"Okay, what was it?!" He demands excitedly.

"A vampire, ghoul, ghost, creepy devil in Armani-"

Briar bursts into laughter, cutting Stiles' interrogation short.

"W-Why are you laughing? You're laughing, I don't- I don't get it, did you think I was joking or something because let me assure you I am dead serious right now. Right now!" He snaps, his glare rekindling.

Briar masters herself and gives him a dry look.

"Stiles, I didn't recognize any of those creatures except for the ghost. The supernatural beings I have met are **Asian** in origin- I'm from Hong Kong, remember?"

Stiles opens his mouth and closes it a few times before letting out a dumbfounded 'oh'. Briar nods in agreement.

"Oh indeed. How much do you know about Chinese belief systems, mythos, legends or culture?"

"… uh, China likes rice?" Stiles answers eventually.

Briar sweat drops.

"… so, basically nothing. Right." She settles herself more comfortably before beginning her lecture.

"China is one of the oldest human civilizations still in existence. It is incredibly diverse with multiple dialects and customs in each region. There have been many influences over the years- the Mongols, Tibet, the Western countries and India as examples of other cultures. Other important impacts are religion- Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism form the main trifecta followed even in present day."

"However, certain beliefs remained consistent across China: there are gods, there are demons, and there are nature spirits and numerous otherworldly creatures that roam this world alongside humanity. This is where it gets weird," She warns him.

Stiles nods seriously and Briar girdles herself before forcing the next words out of her mouth.

"They still exist in present day. My employer back in Hong Kong is the God of Martial Arts, Water and the North Wind, also known as Xuan Wu. I refer to him as Mr. Chen. My bastard asshole of a father is Mr. Chen's best friend and is also a god of questionable character. I regularly fought demons and even had the misfortune of meeting the Demon King before coming to America."

Briar keeps her eyes fixed on the far wall behind Stiles as she talks then waits for the inevitable questions. Stiles, being Stiles, does not disappoint.

"… Gods? Demons? SERIOUSLY?! What're they like?! Are they dangerous?! What kind of 'otherworldly' creatures are there aside from demons and gods? What'd you mean by 'Winds'? You're the daughter of a _wind_?! How does that even work! Wow, my brain actually hurts right now- suddenly werewolves are _way_ more straight forward! They go bat shit on the full moon! Simple, done! I mean there's pesky details but compared to _your_ life ours seems way more clear-cut." He babbles, muttering thoughtfully to himself at times.

"Breathe, Stiles." Briar reminds him dryly.

He complies with big gulps of air. She sighs, pushing her hair out of her face.

"Let's start with the simple questions: are the gods, typically called Shen or Immortals, and demons dangerous? Simple answer, yes. More in-depth answer; demons like screwing over everyone and Shen are not always tolerant of humans' idiocy. As for what they're like… there is no clear cut answer I can give you. They just **are**. Demons torment their victims and love chaos. Shen and Immortals are themselves with similar failings as humans or their animal selves."

Briar grimaces at the next few questions.

"As for the Winds… okay minor tangent. There are four 'Winds' or cardinal guardians entrusted to serve the Yellow Emperor- who is the holiest Zen dude you will ever hear of. He's so holy there are **no** icons or statues of him because to attempt it is to fail utterly. An artist just can't convey what he is in his totality. Moving on, each Wind is represented by an animal with an elemental designation associated with it. East is the Blue, or Green if you're Japanese, Dragon. South is the Red Phoenix, West is the White Tiger and North is the Black Serpent Turtle."

"In the same order, their respective elements are Wood, Fire, Metal and Water with Stone belonging to the Yellow Emperor, who coincidently represents the center of everything. The Winds can transform into their animal forms or can wear human shapes, which **hopefully **answers your question of how I exist." She ends bluntly.

Stiles has a glazed look in his eyes as he processes her lecture before refocusing on her.

"So, which Wind is your Dad?"

"… The West Wind, Bai Hu." Briar says in a tight voice.

Stiles blinks then his eyes widen comically.

"Holy shit! You're half _**tiger?!**_"

"**That's** what you focus on?!" Briar snaps in exasperation.

"Well, what should I focus on?! You just dumped a whole bunch of crazy and very interesting things in my lap and I had to pick **something** to fixate on! Besides,"

He suddenly looks weary, slumped in his chair.

"My best friend from diapers is a werewolf with zero control while there is a murderer running free in Beacon Hills. You might be an old hand at all this supernatural stuff, but we aren't. And… Briar, I'm terrified what might happen."

Briar stares at him for a long moment before letting out a soft sigh. Stiles stares at her in increasing confusion as she stares at him with a completely serious expression.

"Stiles. You are not alone- never forget that. You've got me in your corner." She tells him.

"… Uh. I don't know what I'm supposed to say- am I supposed to say something?" He scratches his head.

Briar smirks but shakes her head.

"You don't have to. Okay, let's go over what I've gleaned from friends overseas about werewolves."

Stiles' eyes bulge in surprise.

"There's more?!"

Briar snorts loudly.

"You bet. Lucky me I got some of the basics on werewolves in general- you ready?"

Stiles nods, frantically scans for a paper and pen then decides to use an old homework assignment. He looks at her expectantly. Briar dredges up what her half-brother told her.

"Werewolves come in three main social castes: Omega, Beta and Alpha. Omegas are loners, thrown out of or left their packs- they are the lowest of low and are willing to eat humans to survive. Hunters and werewolves belonging to packs consider them hazards and kill Omegas when they find them. Omegas usually have blue eyes when they shift."

Stiles bobs his head as he scribbles quickly.

"Betas are the average werewolf- they can have gold or blue eyes, tend to have shorter tempers and are sensitive to challenges to their dominance. They have a strong pack mentality and **are** stronger when they work with others. Betas have enhanced strength, senses and are not as susceptible to their instincts as Omegas, but they still feel urges. Scott is a Beta and, from what I can tell, so is Derek. Fun fact- Betas and Omegas are incapable of changing humans into werewolves."

Stiles head snaps up in shock. Briar nods solemnly.

"So, to be **crystal** clear, Derek couldn't have changed Scott that night?" Stiles demands.

Briar shakes her head.

"I confirmed it when his eyes changed to blue. The only werewolves capable of changing humans into werewolves are Alphas. They have **red** eyes, not blue or gold. Alphas also so happen to be the most powerful of the three types of werewolves- in the social hierarchy, they are the leaders. What they decide goes- they have the normal werewolf benefits but are overall stronger, faster and heal quicker."

Stiles leans back, stunned. Briar takes the moment to stretch and let's his brain process all the information she had dumped on him.

"… We need to tell Scott." Stiles says eventually.

Briar inclines her head.

"That would be a good idea." She agrees.

Stiles spins his chair and opens up Skype, tapping his foot impatiently as he waits for Scott to connect. A few minutes later it dings and Scott's worried face appears on the screen.

"Dude! Where have you been?! I've been calling forever!" Stiles snaps.

Scott frowns at him.

"I was working, remember? I can't always respond immediately, Stiles!"

"Well, big shit has hit the fan and sharing literally cannot wait!"

Briar rolls her eyes and steps behind Stiles so Scott can see her.

"Boys, calm down." She sooths.

"Hi Scott, please understand Stiles is worried about you and doesn't want horrible bullshit to happen to you. Stiles, remember Scott is the one with the furry problem and needs to chill out sometimes. Scott, I had a chat with Stiles about the info I have on werewolves. From the impressions Stiles and you gave me, you are lacking in solid info, right?"

Scott opens and closes his mouth a few times, his eyes flickering between her and Stiles.

"She's in your room?!" He squawks.

"Dude! Focus!" Stiles snaps.

"Yes, I'm in his room since we didn't want any eavesdroppers." Briar explains.

Scott glances worriedly at Stiles then glares at Briar.

"If you hurt Stiles-" he starts heatedly.

"Scott, Stiles is not in danger from me." Briar interrupts him firmly.

Stiles snaps his head around to stare at her.

"I'm not?"

"You're not- unless you attack me with the intent to kill or wake me from a sound sleep." She allows.

Stiles nods thoughtfully at the reasonable amendments.

"Fair- scary, but fair."

When they both refocus on the screen, Stiles notices movement in a corner of Scott's room. His eyes widen and he starts typing. Briar notes the change in his behavior, scans the screen and stiffens.

**Stiles: Dude, there's someone in your room!**

Scott frowns at the text, confusion wrinkling his face.

**Scott: What?**

Stiles forcefully slams his keys.

**Stiles: TURN AROUND!**

Scott starts to turn and the feed shuts off. Briar and Stiles stare at it for a moment and Briar breaks the tense silence.

"Where does Scott live?" She demands grimly.

Stiles points out his window and down the street.

"Over there- wait, why are you asking?! Oh my god you're going over there?! Wait, wait, wait, BRIAR!" He yelps as Briar yanks open the window and soundlessly drops, landing gracefully.

She starts running, ignoring Stiles' yelps of horror. Briar beelines for the house Stiles had pointed to and runs behind it, out of view of the road. Then she activates her energy centers, still running, and starts to race up the side of the house. Meanwhile, Stiles races out his front door and sprints down the road, barely seeing Briar's form vanish around the side of Scott's house.

"Shitshitshitshitshit! How-! Is She-! So-! FAST?!" Stiles swears.

He veers around the corner of Scott's house and freezes, his brain trying to process the sight in front of him. Briar is floating parallel to the ground next to Scott's bedroom window and ripping it open.

"… Wha-?" He squeaks, gaping at her.

Briar glances at him, then jerks her head towards the house before climbing into Scott's bedroom. Stiles takes a moment to shake off his daze over her **gravity-defying ninja skills** then uses the key he had made to unlock the door. Inside Scott's room, both werewolves stare openly at Briar. She takes in the threatening posture Derek is using and narrows her eyes.

"Back off or I'll break your spinal cord, Hale." She says calmly, standing fully in the room.

He raises his eyebrows at her threat. Briar smiles grimly and lets the chi she had built up in her hands glow visibly. Scott and Derek eye her warily, not sure what to make of her glowing golden hands. At that moment Stiles bursts in, sees Briar's hands and immediately says the first thing that pops into his head.

"Now you have glowing hands?! What else can you do, fly?! First you jump from a second story window like it's nothing then you tear down the street faster than an Olympic sprinter and then you floated on the wall, **parallel to the ground** and yet you still say you're not a NINJA?!" He exclaims, waving his hands frantically.

Briar deadpans at Stiles. Scott glances at both his best friend and Lydia's cousin, unsure of what is going on between them. Derek frowns, mulling over Stiles' claims.

"Not now, Stiles." Briar snaps, approaching Scott and Derek.

Scott scoots over towards Stiles warily, watching Briar and Derek face off in his room. Derek's face is impassive but Scott frowns as a strange smell starts to come off of him. Briar locks eyes with Derek's, tawny versus green, and smiles chillingly at him.

"Tell me, what was so pressing that you felt the need to molest Scott in his bedroom?" Her voice purrs dangerously.

Derek's frown deepens.

"I'm not molesting him- I was warning him to not play lacrosse Saturday night!" He retorts.

Briar tilts her head.

"Ah, my mistake- you were _threatening _him then. Obviously that makes it _so much better_." She says sarcastically.

"A newly made werewolf with minimal control, frightened out of his mind- that is **totally **a sound plan. Nothing could go wrong with that **at all."**

Derek is outright glaring at her now while Scott and Stiles stay out of the way, unwillingly entranced by this train-wreck of a conversation. Briar rolls her eyes at Derek.

"I'm assuming you saw his performance on the field earlier today?"

Derek nods stiffly. Briar sighs and allows the chi in her hands to dissipate, returning them to their normal tan appearance.

"Is your concern related to his lack of control?" She presses.

Derek grudgingly nods again, uneasy with the turn in the conversation. Briar glances between Scott and Derek for a moment, weighing options before speaking.

"Then teach him self-control: that neatly solves the problem, correct?"

Derek's eyes widen in surprise and he is not the only one. Stiles instantly starts listing off reasons not to trust Derek while Scott merely glares angrily at the older werewolf.

"**Enough!"** Briar barks, shutting Stiles up.

She waves her hand at Derek.

"Right now, Derek is the only werewolf that we know of who is not outright hostile towards Scott. If Scott reveals himself as a werewolf, even by accident, then any repercussions from that **also** affect Derek. He has motivation to see that you learn control, if only for his own continued survival. Scott, you have until Friday to learn at least the basics- if you cannot, I can step in."

Scott becomes wary of the militant glint in Briar's eyes.

"Does it have to be _him?_" He asks hesitantly.

Derek gives Scott a disgusted look while Briar nods firmly.

"I am not a werewolf, Scott- neither is Stiles. We can watch, observe and come to our own conclusions on how your powers work, but it isn't the same as personal experience. So, yes, it does have to be him unless you would rather it be the bastard who bit you. Given that, which of them would you rather deal with?" She points out.

Scott wavers for a moment, clearly remembering the attack before he stiffens his spine.

"I need to think." He says firmly, glancing at Stiles.

Briar inclines her head, taking the hint, and moves towards the window before glancing back at Derek with a quirked eyebrow. Derek slowly follows her, landing just as easily as her two stories down. Briar starts walking back to Stiles' house, Derek shadowing her closely if not warily.

"... Why don't you think I'm the one who attacked Scott?" He eventually asks her, perturbed.

"Different eyes, different forms." She answers, not bothering to look at him.

Derek frowns then it clicks.

"You saw it? And it didn't attack or hurt you?!" Derek says in disbelief.

Briar tosses a smirk back at him.

"Oh, he **did** attack me- but unlike Scott, I'm used to fighting supernatural creatures. He didn't land any blows, but the fight gave me a nice up-close look at him."

Derek flashes in front of her and grips her arms, his eyes glowing bright blue. Briar glances down at his hands then back to his face.

"Remove your hands, Hale." She says evenly.

He glares at her and tightens his grip.

"Not until you tell me about the Alpha!" He growls.

Briar's eyes flash and she _moves_, breaking his grip on her arms while simultaneously flipping him over her shoulder and into the pavement. Derek grunts, trying to orient himself when sudden pressure is applied to his windpipe. He tries to throw it off but Briar abruptly straddles him, pinning his arms with her legs and pressing her fingers viciously into his throat. Blearily he tries to focus on her and a chill runs down his spine.

Briar's eyes are glowing an eerie dark amber color and she is baring her teeth at him aggressively. The wolf in him cowers away from the sight, instinctively understanding who the more dangerous predator is.

"**Do not touch me, Hale. I will not tolerate such behavior from you again or I will take your hands as penance! **_**Am I clear?"**_ She hisses, leaning right into his face.

Derek knows with bone deep certainty that his life is in danger- and while he struggles to retain his dignity his wolf half takes over, unwilling to die for his pride. His eyes flash back to green and he tilts his head to the side, submitting to her. Briar squeezes his throat again in warning before releasing him, already on her feet and striding into the darkness while Derek tries to regain his breathe. Meanwhile, a pair of crimson eyes watch their altercation with interest before also vanishing into the night.

…

Briar sweats as she runs through a sword kata, focusing solely on her next position as she brings the weapon in for a block then counterattack. Lydia slides the door open and quirks an eyebrow as Briar finishes the kata with a thrust and horizontal slice before sheathing her blade. She huffs out a sigh then blinks when she spots her cousin watching her.

"Ah…" Briar sweat drops at being discovered.

"Briar, I had no idea you knew how to use a sword- why do you even have one, anyways?" Lydia questions, approaching her.

"… It was one of the weapons I learned back in Hong Kong." She finally replies, draining her water bottle.

Lydia tilts her head cutely.

"Did your martial arts master teach you how to use any other weapons?"

Briar hesitates and Lydia narrows her eyes.

"So he did teach you something else- what was it?" She demands.

Briar winces before sighing.

"Tambo, nunchakus, bo staff, spear, chain whip, rope dart, sais, tonfas, short daggers, tessen and I was just beginning to learn how to use a war scythe."

Lydia's eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

"All of those?!" She exclaims.

Briar winces.

"Ah, yeah." She mumbles.

Lydia purses her lips, considering her words carefully before speaking.

"Why would you learn so many different types? Isn't that extremely difficult?"

Briar shrugs nonchalantly.

"I mean, yes, they all have different challenges but they aren't completely unrelated. Bo staff, tambo and spears all have similar basics in terms of hand placement and stances. And there are situations that are better for certain types of weaponry. For instance,"

Briar gestures towards her sword for a moment.

"I wouldn't be able to bring a sword or tonfa to a socialite gathering- but I could bring a tessen since it would appear to be a 'mere' fan. Or have stilettos in my hairdo, hidden in plain sight as hair pins. Little things like that can be the difference between life and death."

Lydia visibly perks up when Briar mentions the fashionable aspect, frowning thoughtfully.

"… Can you show me?"

Briar's face crinkles in confusion.

"Show what..?" She asks warily.

Lydia's expression becomes impatient.

"Your stiletto hair pins and this 'tessen' you have."

"… Uh, why?" Briar hedges, feeling cornered.

Lydia rolls her eyes.

"Well, it's a smart idea to have a form of self-defense and if it's cute, then all the better!" She chirps.

… _I did this to myself, didn't I?_ Briar sighs mentally before gathering her stuff and supervising Lydia's inspection of her more decorative weapons. They spend a better part of an hour discussing pros and cons of certain pieces with current fashion trends. Lydia was intrigued enough that Briar makes a note to see if there are any spare stiletto hair pieces at the Western Palace that Sunday.

_Thank heavens that I managed to convince Father to move his 'bonding day' to Sunday this week._ She reflects with a groan. Briar shies away from the memory of cajoling her stubborn parent into listening to her- after making promises to be respectful and not cuss him out. It doesn't lessen her stress concerning the game but at least she is available to play. Thoughts of the upcoming lacrosse game reminds her of Scott and his control issues.

_Hopefully Derek gave him useful tips._

…

Saturday night arrives with grand fanfare and Briar tugs on her uniform, smoothing out the stiff creases. Coach hadn't listened to Scott's excuses and Briar almost feels sorry for Scott when Lydia pressured him into playing. Unfortunately, both Stiles and Scott had avoided talking to her for the last few days so she has no clue what was going on with them. She isn't particularly bothered, since she can interrogate Stiles on the bench.

Jackson proved able to play- how he managed it Briar keeps her suspicions to herself, since dislocated shoulders don't heal magically in five days. After Coach lists off who is on the field, Briar assumes her place on the bench; right next to Stiles. He doesn't notice her, mumbling to himself as Scott walks onto the field and bouncing his leg anxiously.

"… Stiles- why are you acting jumpy?" She finally asks him.

Stiles actually levitates six inches off his seat in shock, snapping his head around to swear and question at her simultaneously.

"Shit! Briar! Where the hell- I mean when did you- what are you doing?!" He garbles incoherently.

"Stiles, chill out for fucks sake." Briar snaps, slightly irked.

"Where the hell did you appear from?! One second you're not there and then you are! Freaking ninja lady!"

Briar glares at him and flicks his forehead- **hard.** He yelps, covering the injured spot and stares incredulously at her.

"What the fuck was that for?!"

"You know what!" She hisses back.

"Oh, and that's a perfectly good reason to split my skull open!"

"Wǒ de tiān a, bì zuǐ!" Briar hisses, gripping her lacrosse stick tightly.

Stiles blinks and his expression becomes offended.

"Okay, I might not know Chinese, but I can tell when someone is dissing me! At least swear at me in English so I have a chance to yell back dammit!"

Briar grits her teeth before speaking very succinctly.

"I said, 'Oh my god, shut up'. I have already told you I do not appreciate being called a ninja and I had hoped you would respect that. Clearly, you can't. So rather than waste **more** time, did Scott learn any self-control or is he still a hormonal teenager with zero discipline?"

Stiles looks away from her. Briar narrows her eyes.

"Stiles. Did he learn control or not?"

"… If I say yes will you drop it?" He mutters quietly.

"If it were true, perhaps. But since you would be lying to my face… no, I can't." She says bluntly.

They both focus on the game as it starts with a piercing whistle. Beacon Hills manages to snag the ball and forces their way onto the visiting team's side of the field. Scott moves himself to an open area and waits for the ball to be passed to him- it never comes. Jackson intercepts the ball, throwing a smirk at Scott as he scores a goal. Briar tenses, an ominous feeling growing inside her gut.

_Jackson wouldn't- or would he? Cào! Stupid male egos-!_

As the game goes on, Briar and Stiles grow more worried as Scott is shunned by the entire team, as per captain's orders. But when Lydia and Allison hold up the 'We Love Jackson!' sign, Briar knew they had to do something. Stiles and Briar nod to each other then start verbal support.

"Come on, Scott buddy," Stiles whispers anxiously.

"Scott! SCOTT, if you can hear me, nod once!" Briar says, forcing calm into her voice.

On the field, Scott can see his vision start to go red but a part of him latches onto Stiles' and Briar's voices. He nods, jerkily, but he does it.

"Alright Scott, breath in and then let it out. Focus on me and Stiles, not those a-holes. Your mission is to get the ball- don't wait for it, go and get it." She orders.

Stiles nods enthusiastically.

"You can do it, Scott!"

"Find the ball, take it and get it into the goal. Go!" Briar encourages him.

Scott races off and steals the ball from the enemy team then throws it into the goal. The crowd starts to cheer as he begins hammering goal after goal after goal. Coach urges the other players to throw the ball to Scott- they hesitate but follow his demands. Scott glares down the player with the ball, his wolf side coming to the fore and the poor dude passes it to him. Scott then ties the game and with his last (ridiculous) throw slams the ball through the goalie's lacrosse stick, inside the goal.

The crowd goes wild, cheering for Scott and Briar stays to the side with Stiles. Both of them notice Allison and Scott slipping off for some private time. Briar makes a note to grill Allison about her moves later when an older man approaches Stiles and herself. She tilts her head in confusion, noting he has a sheriff badge.

"Stiles, we let Derek Hale go tonight."

Stiles jaw drops.

"Wha-what?! Why?! He had the second half of the dead body buried on his property!"

"We got an ID on the body- Laura Hale. Derek Hale's older sister. He was the one to give us the ID. Given the lack of motive, we had to let him go." The Sheriff states stoically.

Briar stays very still as she listens to the conversation- only understanding part of it, but pieces start to fill in.

_Derek ended up in jail- presumably because of the dead body that was discovered on his property. Was he arrested in suspicion of murder? And how does Stiles fit into this? And why does he seem to know the Sheriff on a personal level..?_

"Ah, excuse me sir, but how do you know Stiles? Does he get into so much trouble you know him personally?" Briar interjects as politely as she can.

Stiles and the Sheriff turn to look at her then the older man lets out a soft chuckle.

"You could say that, miss..?"

"MacLaren, sir. Briar MacLaren." She introduces herself with a short bow before remembering that the Sheriff is a Westerner.

Her face turns an interesting shade of scarlet as she offers her hand.

"Sorry sir, I forgot-!" She stammers.

_Nice, very nice, Briar!_ She snarks at herself, tense.

The sheriff chuckles again and shakes her hand gently.

"Nice to see a teenager with manners- I'm Sheriff Stilinski and the father of this hooligan." He jerks his thumb at Stiles, who huffs in reproach.

Briar stares at both of them before seeing the similarities in their features. With effort she stops herself from yelling swearwords at Stiles, instead giving him a sweet smile. Stiles shivers uneasily, feeling cornered. She looks back at the older Stilinski, keeping her tone pleasant.

"I'm sorry if this is presumptuous, but why is Stiles being informed of police matters? Is he also part of the police force?" Briar questions, trying to understand.

"I'm telling Stiles about police business since he and Scott are the reason Hale was arrested in the first place." The sheriff sighs gustily.

Briar feels her face freeze into a pleasant mask: it takes considerable control to not demand answers from Stiles at that moment.

"Oh? I'm surprised they are involved." She says smoothly, allowing only shock to show in her tone.

Mr. Stilinski nods slightly, seemingly older and wearier.

"I wish you two would leave police matters to the police," He reprimands Stiles, frowning.

Stiles looks away awkwardly and Briar excuses herself, giving her farewells. After changing, Briar walks into the woods and makes her way to the place she first encountered Derek. The lack of light doesn't bother her too much as her feet carry her onwards. She pauses, hand resting on a trunk and _listens_. The wind stirs the branches, small animals rustle the undergrowth and an owl hoots nearby. Nature, not civilization.

Briar leans against the tree trunk and looks up, staring at the stars, marveling over the different constellations. She doesn't look at Derek when he appears out of the darkness, keeping her eyes heavenwards.

"… I didn't get to see the stars in Hong Kong: the pollution was too thick. Here, they're so _bright…_" she murmurs.

He stays quiet, watching her. Briar finally glances over at him and meets his stare with one of her own. Silence builds between them, until Derek breaks it.

"You didn't know."

She shakes her head slowly, expression distant.

"I didn't. If I had… it would have been different." She says softly.

"That's presumptuous of you."

Briar shrugs one shoulder then stands up straight before bowing slightly.

"My condolences for the loss of your sister." She states, holding it.

Derek's eyes widen in surprise as Briar pulls out of her bow. He could hear her heartbeat- it hadn't wavered in the slightest.

_She meant it._

Derek stiffly nods back, unable to voice his thanks for the simple acknowledgement. Briar smirks wryly, dusts herself off and starts walking back the way she came.

"What will you do?"

Briar stops at his question then pauses as she gathers her thoughts.

"… In many ways this is not my battle. But, I also swore an oath and I intend to keep it. How I do so- well, I suppose we will see." She answers.

Derek watches her vanish into the woods before heading back to the Hale house, his thoughts uneasy.

**And that is a wrap! If you have any comments or insights you would like to add, please review! I am considering a pairing, but it will be much later on. As you may have noticed, I tend to combine several episodes together (especially since I'm writing this based off of what I remember). So if I get something wrong, please let me know!**


	3. Chapter 3

**And we're back! I do NOT own Teen Wolf or Dark Heavens/Journey to Wudang but I DO own my OC~! There will be shenanigans and typical Teen Wolf madness as the plot starts to heat up. Be warned, there is swearing, gore, violence and weird stuff!**

**Enjoy and please review!**

**Glossary:  
Xuan Wu** (Putonghua)- North Wind, God of Martial Arts and Water, Black Turtle of the North, referred to by his human name John Chen or 'Mr. Chen' by Briar  
**Kwan Yin**\- a Buddhist icon, Goddess of Mercy, referred to by Briar as 'Miss Mercy'  
**Bai Hu **(Putonghua)- West Wind, White Tiger of the West, Briar's father  
**Sifu** (Cantonese)- Master  
**Shen**\- Can mean an Immortal being, similar to a god (mostly found is Chinese mythology) and/or the spirit within a person and the energy of their soul  
**Chi**\- Energy that exists in all living things.  
**Wu shu** (Putonghua)- General term for all martial arts  
**Kata** (Japanese)- a set of moves to practice with a weapon or hand to hand  
**Bái chī** (Putonghua)- Idiot, potentially mentally retarded**  
Bì zuǐ** (Putonghua)- Shut up!  
**Chikushō** (Japanese)- Hell or shit**  
****Cào** (Putonghua)- Fuck  
**Chǔn lǘ** (Putonghua)- Jackass**  
****Nǐ hǎo** (Putonghua)- A general hello.**  
Shǎ zi** (Putonghua)- Blockhead**  
Wǒ de tiān a** (Putonghua)- Oh my God or 'Oh my Sky' [literal translation]  
**Wǒ k****ào!** (Taiwanese)- Well fuck me/Fuck/Holy shit/Fucking awesome  
**Xie xie** (Putonghua)- Thank you  
**Zài jiàn** (Putonghua)- Good bye  
**Ho ak** (Cantonese)- Okay  
**Wěi** (I believe this is Putonghua)- Hello, a greeting similar to 'hi' in English

Briar stays away from Stiles and Scott for the next few days- an easy task since her Sunday is taken up by her weekly visit to the Heavenly Plane. The rest is simple avoidance- until she notices the large amount of blood near one of the buses Monday morning. Silently she observes the claw marks and gruesome blood-splatter before taking a picture and making a note to find Derek later.

Chemistry is more excruciating than usual as Mr. Harris drones away with an announcement that there was a wild animal attack last night but not to panic. Briar shakes her head at his false platitudes, focusing on reading the next chapter due. Behind her Stiles and Scott are whispering anxiously, growing more animated by the moment. They are interrupted by another student shouting a body is being removed from the bus.

Briar sees a mauled man being wheeled out on a gurney, motionless. Her tawny eyes sharpen, noting wounds similar to big cats' or perhaps a bear. Abruptly the man flails, proving he is in fact alive and not a corpse, startling everyone badly. Behind her Briar hears Stiles mutter something interesting to Scott.

"Well, doesn't look like you are a murderer yet." Stiles quips.

"Stiles, I was there last night! But why can't I remember anything?" Scott whispers.

Briar closes her eyes, reigning in her emotions before turning to look at the pair. They're so distracted by their conversation it takes Briar clearing her throat delicately to get their attention. Two pairs of eyes snap to her and Briar quirks her eyebrows at them.

"Care to share boys?" She drawls, leaning towards them.

Scott flushes and Stiles does an excellent impression of a stunned fish. Briar rolls her eyes.

"A tip for you; if you have something to discuss that is more **sensitive** in nature, perhaps don't discuss it in the middle of class. Or around others? Food for thought." She says dryly.

Briar turns around and focuses on getting through the day: she can corner Stiles or Scott later. The bell rings and Briar beelines for the cafeteria, intent on getting her share. Two hamburgers and a cup of fries later she settles at a table, content to devour her food. Stiles and Scott settle on either side of her, sharing tentative glances before staring at her. Briar ignores them and bites into her first burger, savoring the unique flavors.

"So… Briar. We know you might be a bit mad at us- and we're sorry. Right, Scott?" Stiles prompts him meaningfully.

"…" Scott looks away.

Stiles glares at him.

"Really? This is when you decide to be difficult?"

"We didn't do anything wrong!" Scott snaps defensively.

Briar internally sighs and puts down her burger, giving both boys an unimpressed stare.

"What do you wish to discuss with me?" She ends the argument before it escalates.

"… I had a dream last night- about Allison." Scott admits.

Briar's eyebrow rises.

"While I enjoy gossip, I have no desire to listen to the details of your wet dream Scott."

Scott sputters, his face burning crimson. Stiles hoots with laughter.

"It's not-! I don't-! _Briar!_" Scott yelps, scandalized.

Briar takes another bite of her burger, unrepentant. When she finishes chewing and swallowing she eyes them shrewdly.

"This is about the bus driver, isn't it?"

Scott gapes and Stiles perks up.

"Yes! Yes, thank you! Wha- wait, how did you know?" Stiles frowns.

Briar rolls her eyes.

"I had a close up look at Crimson Eyes, remember? Not mention you, Scott, when you were having your temper tantrum. The wounds on the bus driver match what a large animal with curved claws is capable of." She explains, nibbling on a fry.

"Also, you wouldn't be so freaked out if you were sure you had nothing to do with the attack. Ergo, you believe you were present or somehow involved." Briar summarizes.

"… You're like Sherlock Holmes." Scott mumbles.

"Thank you. I do try. Now, what exactly has you in a tizzy?" Briar demands, dunking a bunch of fries into ketchup.

"I don't remember what happened last night- parts of it were in my dream, like the bus and other details were off-"

"Like the victim not being Allison." Stiles pipes up.

Briar frowns thoughtfully, musing through possibilities as she chomps on her fries.

"… My first suggestion, not that you're likely to take it, is talk to Derek." She tells them, lifting her burger.

Scott opens his mouth to protest and Briar glares at him, daring him to speak up. He subsides, a bit wide-eyed. Briar finishes her first burger before speaking again.

"You're wondering why. It's simple. Derek knows more than any of us about your condition, hence he is the best person to ask. I suggest apologizing and _meaning it_ when you talk to him."

"But he had half of a dead body buried on his property!" Scott complains.

Briar stares at him, unimpressed by his logic.

"Yes, and said 'body' belongs to his dead older sister. I admittedly know little of customs here, but in China the body of a community member is destroyed to maintain secrecy. He likely had a similar motive." She points out.

Scott opens his mouth but is interrupted by Allison setting her tray next to Scott's. Briar waggles her fingers in greeting as she chows down more fries between bites of burger. Lydia, Jackson, Danny and several other lacrosse players follow suit, settling in the empty places at the table. Allison smiles at Briar briefly as Jackson orders one of mooks to leave.

"Why don't you tell Danny to leave?" The poor fool demands.

"I don't stare at his girlfriend's coin slot." Danny replies cheerfully.

Muttering, the mook leaves and Jackson takes control of the conversation.

"I heard that the bus driver was attacked by a bear." He comments.

"I heard cougar." Danny answers.

"Nah, it was a puma." A mook shakes his head.

"A cougar is the same thing as a puma- isn't it?" Lydia asks cutely, hiding her intelligence.

"Yup." Briar affirms, cleaning her fingers with a napkin.

"Cougar and puma, along with catamount, mountain lion and panther are all names for the single big cat species in North America." She clarifies.

Danny nods appreciatively. Stiles looks panicked by the sudden incursion of popular people while Scott is faithfully smitten with Allison. Jackson is annoyed by her correction, but Briar could care less. Rolling her neck, Briar stands with her empty tray.

"I'm going to the library- contact me if the world is ending." She says semiseriously.

Lydia smirks at her while Stiles nods in understanding. Danny waves as she retreats, dumping her tray as she exits.

_Later that evening…_

Briar runs along a game trail in the woods, knives tucked into hidden sheathes as she stretches her legs. The woods are not fully dark yet, sunlight still dappling through the canopy to illuminate her way. Briar's feet pound in a steady rhythm as she patrols near the school, searching for signs of a large predator marking territory. After an hour Briar doesn't find claw marks on trees, a territory sign she is familiar with seeing in tigers or leopards.

Frowning, she slows, thinking hard.

"You should be more careful."

Briar does not jump at Derek's voice; instead, she turns and gives him an amused expression.

"I wondered how long I would have to wait for you to show up." She remarks, tilting her head at him.

Derek narrows his eyes, folding his arms.

"Why are you out here? It's not safe."

"Not safe for most." Briar corrects him, fixing her ponytail.

"You didn't answer my question."

"And you expected me to?"

Derek's jaw clenches as he restrains his (obvious) irritation. Briar smirks then pulls out her phone, going to the camera roll and selecting a picture before showing him. Derek blinks, his frustration momentarily forgotten as he takes in the details. He looks up at her, expression growing more stern and rigid.

"Where was this?" He questions.

Briar slides her phone away, all playfulness gone.

"The high school. There was a survivor- he should be at the hospital. Scott seems to think he might have been present for the attack- but he can't remember any details. You might want to brace yourself for a hormonal teenager demanding answers sometime soon." She warns him.

Derek nods stiffly and Briar sighs, stretching her arms to limber up.

"That's all I needed to say. I did tell Scott to be sincere and apologize if he decides to talk to you… but I don't know if he's that desperate yet." She shrugs.

Derek scoffs, looking away. Briar rolls her eyes and starts back the way she came.

"Bye, bái chī." She calls over her shoulder.

"What the hell does that even mean?!" Derek yells after her.

Briar bursts out laughing and picks up her pace, leaving an annoyed werewolf behind her.

_Later that evening…_

"So, let me get this straight- you're crashing another couple's date because, and I quote, 'I'm bored'." Briar deadpans at Lydia.

Lydia rolls her eyes as she considers two different blouses.

"It's not just that- Allison is new and I want to make certain that Scott is a suitable match for her." She argues.

Briar quirks her eyebrows from her position on Lydia's bed.

"Wow, you're acting like an overbearing mother vetting potential spouses for your daughter." Briar snorts.

Lydia throws a blouse at Briar who lazily catches it before it hits her face.

"Nice aim." Briar compliments her.

Lydia huffs before settling next to Briar's legs.

"I'm _concerned_ since he has flaked on her before and I would rather not see her get hurt." The redhead grumbles.

"… Well, speaking of hurtful relationships- Lydia, why're you still with Jackson?" Briar asks, watching her closely.

Lydia's expression shutters and she plasters a fake smile on her face.

"Jackson? What do you mean?" She tries to deflect.

"Why're you limiting yourself for him? You're smart, hot and sassy as hell so why are you letting his needs for a picture perfect girlfriend get in the way of being yourself?" Briar demands, refusing to be distracted.

Lydia opens her mouth but nothing comes out. She exhales heavily and meets Briar's tawny eyes with her green ones.

"… I use him, Briar. We use each other. Being the 'it' couple is useful. Jackson needs it for identity reasons… I use it to hide."

"Why? Being smart is a good thing, excelling is a good thing." Briar comments, tilting her head.

Lydia laughs, shaking her head.

"Maybe in China it is- here, girls who are smart **and** pretty are a threat. They're outcasts."

"That's stupid." Briar states bluntly.

Lydia smiles sadly.

"It is." She agrees.

Briar nods thoughtfully.

"But you're not going to stop, even if it hurts you, are you?" She notes.

Lydia frowns but doesn't deny it. Briar's face hardens.

"Lydia, I want you to promise me if he hurts you emotionally or physically that you'll drop his sorry ass and not look back." Briar presses.

Lydia purses her lips. Briar glares at her.

"**Lydia."** She growls.

Lydia considers Briar's promise and hesitates.

_Can I do it? He's rude and awful sometimes but I still care about the moron... But is it alright to let him make me feel like I need to hide in order to be accepted..?_

"… I'll consider it." Lydia settles on.

Briar glares at her, but when she reads the resolve in Lydia's face she sighs and reluctantly lets the topic rest. Over next several days Briar focuses on getting all her homework for next week done so she doesn't have to complete it at the Western Palace on Sunday. By Thursday night she has everything done and is ready to have a relaxing Friday. Unfortunately, life has other plans.

The first hint that something is off is when Briar spots Derek staggering through the school, blood dripping onto the floor.

"**Chikushō!"** Briar swears, running over.

"Hale, what the fuck happened?!" She snarls as she drags his good arm over her shoulders and grabs his hip with her other arm to keep him upright.

"Scott- where's Scott?" Derek rasps.

Briar's eyes narrow as she takes in his appearance- pale, sweating, weak.

"You should be healing Hale, why aren't you?" She counters as she leads him down less trafficked hallways.

"Hunters." He wheezes.

"Cào. Ho ak, find Scott or Stiles and lay low so we can patch you up in peace." Briar decides on a game plan.

Derek silently appreciates her clear thinking as she drags him (_how the hell is she strong enough to drag him?_) to the parking lot. Briar scans the cars and spots Stiles starting to pull out of his parking spot. Her lips curl into a snarl as she forces Derek to run with her right in front of Stiles' Jeep. Stiles' jaw drops as he frantically hits the brakes, barely avoiding hitting them.

"What the hell is this?!" Stiles yelps, staring at them.

Briar jerks her head, a silent command for him to exit the Jeep. He reluctantly scrambles to obey as Briar helps Derek lean against the Jeep. Cars behind Stiles begin to honk but Briar could care less, unlike Stiles who winces at the barrage of noise.

"You've got to be kidding me, this guy is everywhere!" Stiles complains as he stares at the weakened Derek.

"Stiles, chill." Briar snaps.

"What's the matter with him?" Scott asks, rushing over.

"He's dying." Briar says flatly.

_Does he not have eyes? It's obvious!_ Briar grumbles in her head.

A crowd starts to gather and Briar physically places herself between the onlookers and Derek to shield him from view. Derek glares at Stiles and Scott.

"I was shot." He admits.

"He's not looking so good." Stiles remarks to Scott.

More blood oozes down Derek's arm and Briar nearly growls as the two teenage boys continue to waste time.

"Why aren't you healing?" Scott asks Derek.

"I can't. It's a different kind of bullet." He grits out.

"A silver bullet?" Stiles demands.

Derek gives him the stink-eye.

"No, you idiot." He growls.

"Wait, wait, that's what she said when she said you had forty-eight hours." Scott stammers.

"What? Who said forty-eight hours?" Derek demands as he stares down Scott.

"The one who shot you." Scott explains.

Derek grimaces and his eyes flash icy blue. Briar feels her hackles rise at his loss of control.

_This isn't good._ She thinks.

"What're you doing?! Stop that!" Scott hisses.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you, I can't!" Derek hisses back.

Briar has had enough by this point.

"Stiles, we're using your Jeep. Scott, help me drag him inside." Briar orders, grabbing Derek's arm again.

"Wait, what?! No, no, no, you're not using-!" Stiles tries to protest.

"Yes, we are. Now, either help or I'll hotwire your fucking Jeep and drive off with it Stiles! Your call. Scott, move your furry ass!" She snaps.

The boys jolt reluctantly into motion, Scott helping Briar stash Derek in the backseat while Stiles tosses his arms up in the air in aggravation. Derek seizes Scott's arm as he starts to withdraw and glares him down.

"I need you to find out what kind of bullet they used."

"How the hell am I supposed to do that?" Scott gulps.

"She's an Argent, she's with them." Derek tells him.

"Why should I help you?" Scott retorts.

Briar glares at him.

"Shǎ zi! How many times do we have to go over this?! He's **not** the goddamn Alpha so pull your head out of your ass! If you don't learn control the fucking Alpha will make you his _little bitch_ so it's in your best interests to make sure Derek survives!" She hisses.

Scott and Stiles pale at her brutal assessment. Derek nods in agreement.

"Get the bullet Scott." Briar orders him before climbing into the shotgun seat.

Stiles glances at her then Derek.

"I hate you for this. Both of you." He adds.

Briar deadpans at him.

"And?"

Stiles looks away and starts driving. Briar unzips her backpack and pulls out her laptop, checking her watch as she quickly calculates the differences between time zones.

"3:30 pm here, so about 6:30 am there…" She mumbles.

Stiles glances at her incredulously.

"What are you talking about?"

"Shh," Briar hushes him as she quickly types out an email to Leo and Gold.

She glances back at Derek.

"What kind of poison could have done this to you?" She asks.

Derek stubbornly remains silent. Briar's expression hardens.

"This isn't the time, Hale- poisoned wounds are no joke and the longer we don't do shit the more likely you die."

"I'm not sure- some kind of wolf's bane, most likely." Derek grumbles.

"Right. Have you removed the bullet?" Briar comments as she adds the bit about the bullet being poisoned to the emails.

"…" Dead silence answers her.

She twitches.

"You-!" She stops herself and forces herself to breathe slowly to regain control of her temper.

"Right, Stiles, pull over please so I can pull out the _poisonous bullet in this dumbass's arm_." She bites out.

Stiles glances at her wide-eyed.

"What?! Wait, really? Cool!" He comments.

Briar ignores him as she pulls out gauze, gloves, tweezers, rubbing alcohol and a scalpel from a med kit in her backpack. Stiles pulls over and Briar clambers into the backseat, forces Derek's arm out of his jacket and quickly swipes the area with the rubbing alcohol. Derek hisses but stays still as Briar maneuvers the tweezers into the wound, feeling for the bullet. Thankfully it doesn't take her that long and she removes it triumphantly.

"Hah! Slippery bastard!" She crows before dropping the bullet inside a plastic baggy.

Derek winces as he feels the poison slow down a bit. Briar cleans the entry wound with more rubbing alcohol in hopes of flushing some of the poison out. It helps a bit but Briar notices his arm still has black veins running up and down it. She grimaces as she wraps it with gauze.

"So, is it okay to look?" Stiles asks, peeking in the rear view mirror.

"Yup. Still not great but at least it's not still injecting fresh poison into his system." Briar reports as she cleans up.

"Why are you not freaking out? I mean, it's good that you're not freaking out but still it's weird that you're not freaking out cause there's blood and icky black stuff-" Stiles starts to ramble.

"Stiles, breathe and focus on the road." Briar reminds him.

Stiles complies for all of ten seconds.

"You better not be bleeding on my seats back there."

"Stiles, his arm is wrapped in gauze." Briar sighs.

"So?! It wasn't earlier! Does blood even come off leather?!"

"Usually." Is Briar's blunt response.

Stiles and Derek stare at her, Stiles with poorly concealed unease and Derek with reluctant curiosity.

"Wow, I think you just beat out Derek in the scary department." Stiles mutters.

"How nice. But more importantly, where are we going?" Briar inquires, leaning forward.

"Derek's house." Stiles answers.

Derek stiffens.

"What? No, you can't take me there."

"I can't take you to your own house?!" Stiles clarifies, incredulous.

"Not when I can't protect myself." Derek affirms.

Stiles pulls over again, frantically messing up his hair. Briar sits back, frowning as she tries to think of safe places to hide Derek. Annoyingly she comes up with a blank.

"What happens if Scott doesn't find your magic bullet, huh? You die?" Stiles demands, glaring at Derek.

Derek shakes his head.

"I have a last resort."

"What do you mean? What last resort?" Stiles prods him.

Briar has a sneaking suspicion but stays silent.

"Start the car. Now." Derek grits out.

"Or what? I don't think you should be barking orders with the way you look, okay? And, in fact, I think if I wanted to I could probably drag your werewolf ass out into the middle of the road and leave you for dead!" Stiles shouts, gesturing to illustrate his words.

"Start the car, or I'm going to rip your throat out. With my teeth." Derek threatens him.

Stiles and Derek have a stare down and Briar rolls her eyes at the overwhelming testosterone. Stiles breaks first and starts driving again. A cheerful 'ding' from her laptop tells Briar that Leo and Gold had responded. She opens the email and starts reading. Then she face palms.

"Fuck, why didn't I remember that?!" She swears as she continues to read.

Stiles and Derek sneak glances at her, hoping she would elaborate. When she doesn't, Stiles clears his throat.

"So, Briar, you heard something good?" He bugs her.

Briar nods without looking up.

"A method to remove the poison if Scott doesn't find the bullet in time. Honestly I should have remembered it since I've had it done to me… Anyways, I need more room than this to do it." She explains, waving her hand to encompass the Jeep.

She then looks at Derek.

"My sifu said he would be available in about an hour to guide me through it, unless you would rather use the 'magic bullet' to quote Stiles."

Derek eyes her intently.

"What would you need to do?"

"I would manipulate your chi to help expel the poison by striking pressure points on your back and arm. Ever heard of acupuncture?"

Derek nods, frowning.

"It's basically that, except using chi instead of needles to purge your body of impurities." Briar elaborates.

"Wait, chi? What's chi?" Stiles pipes up.

"Life energy." Briar summarizes.

Stiles gapes at her.

"_What?!"_ He squawks.

Briar sighs.

"Focus on the road, you can grill me for answers later." She redirects him.

Stiles pouts and does as she suggests while also dialing Scott's number again.

"Pick up, pick up, pick up-!" Stiles jitters.

It goes to dial tone again.

"I think he turned off his phone." Stiles mutters.

Briar rolls her eyes at him.

"I would too if you were calling every four minutes for an update. Not to mention you might have broken his cover with your incessant phone calls." She points out.

Stiles pointedly ignores her as he calls again. It clicks and Stiles wastes no time barraging Scott with questions.

"Finally! What am I supposed to do with him?" Stiles demands.

He listens for a moment, frowning.

"By the way, he's starting to smell. Like death!" Stiles whines.

Another pause and Briar elects to refresh herself on the pressure points in the human body.

"What about your boss?" Stiles proposes.

Briar raises her eyebrows but continues to examine the diagrams Gold had sent her. Stiles sighs and hands the phone over to Derek.

"You would not believe where he's having me take you," Stiles grumbles as he starts to drive.

Derek ignores him as he talks to Scott and grows more impatient by the moment.

"Think about this, the Alpha called you out against your will and he is going to do it again. And next time you either kill with him or you get killed. So if you want to stay alive, then you need me. Find the bullet." Derek snaps before ending the call.

"… So, do we have a destination?" Briar finally breaks the silence.

"Yeah, the animal clinic." Stiles replies.

Briar nods thoughtfully.

"That's actually a good pick since it has medical equipment." She comments.

Derek grunts and the rest of the ride is silent. When they reach the clinic Briar climbs out first, grabbing her bag and helps Derek out of the Jeep. Stiles fetches the keys when he gets a text from Scott.

"Does Nordic Blue Monkshood mean anything to you?" He asks Derek as Briar maneuvers him inside.

"It's a rare form of wolf's bane; he has to bring me the bullet." Derek answers, sweating as Briar forces him up on the examination table.

"Stay put while I get the video connection up." Briar orders, opening her laptop.

"Wait, who're you calling?" Stiles asks.

"My sifu- martial arts master." She clarifies when Stiles gives her a blank stare.

"That's not safe-!" Derek hisses and Briar snaps.

"_Shut it._ Gold is a supernatural like you and Leo has been living in the supernatural world for a decade. They won't tell hunters jack shit. Not to mention they're on the other side of the ocean at the moment, you paranoid _moron_."

Derek falls silent as the video cam turns on, showing a black man with partially crushed nose and a Chinese man with an expressive face looking back at Briar.

"_Briar! Leo said a friend of yours needs help- something about a poisonous bullet."_ Gold jumps starts the conversation.

Briar nods.

"Yeah, Leo mentioned soft chi manipulation should do the trick but supervision is always nice." She explains.

"_Fair enough, let's see the damage."_ Gold responds.

Briar turns and drags Derek's shirt and jacket off with his lackluster help, exposing the bullet wound. Leo whistles at the black veins growing from the wound.

"_Nasty."_ Leo comments, squinting at the image.

"I know right?!" Stiles yells.

Gold looks at the wound and frowns.

"_Start with the torso- get a bowl for him to spit into, this is going to be messy. After that flush the poison out of his arm starting at his shoulder through the wound. When you get closer to the entry wound, start on his hand too. Go as many rounds as you need to."_

"Ho ak." Briar acknowledges, rolling up her sleeves as her hands glow gold.

Then her hands blur faster than Stiles can see, striking specific points in Derek's back. He stiffens and spits into the bowl in front of him, black fluids dripping down his chin and bare chest.

"Stiles, I need you to tell me when he spits up just red, alright?" Briar commands as she does another set.

As Derek hacks up more black goo, Stiles nods, looking squeamish. It takes Briar another five rounds to clear the poison from Derek's torso. Gold nods approvingly.

"_Good. Start on his arm- imagine the poison being flushed downwards and only downwards."_

Briar nods and gets to work, gripping his shoulder with her left hand as her right becomes a golden blur. Stiles' eyes widen as the black veins recede down Derek's arm, back towards the gunshot wound. Derek winces as Briar's chi pushes into his body over and over, leaving a faint burning sensation behind. Briar progresses down his arm with her left hand and starts at his hand with her right. The dark veins creep back towards the wound and black ooze seeps out.

Soon enough she reaches the wound itself and keeps working until only red blood comes out. Derek sighs in relief when his body finally starts healing the way it was supposed to. Leo and Gold raise their eyebrows at the rapid healing but wisely stay silent. Briar sighs and steps back, stretching her arms behind her head.

"Ugh, I'm tired now." She mumbles.

"That… was awesome! Yes!" Stiles yells excitedly.

Briar rolls her eyes while Gold laughs and Leo smiles.

"_That was really good, Briar. You might have a career in energy healing if you want it."_ Gold quips.

Briar makes a face.

"No thanks, I would rather be fighting with everyone else."

Gold nods in understand while Leo gives her a proud grin.

"_Good job, Briar. By the way, Emma's sending you a care package- you should be getting the rest of your stuff in about a week along with that special order you asked for."_

Briar grins and fist pumps the air.

"Wǒ kào! Xie xie, Leo! I would kiss you but you're out of reach- in more than one sense." She jokes.

Leo snorts, folding his arms.

"_Giving up so easily? I'm disappointed."_

Briar's eyes twinkle with mirth as she answers.

"Hmm, in **that** case- Gold, if you would..?"

Gold's grin broadens and he pulls Leo's battered face out of view while simultaneously winking at Briar. Derek and Stiles give her confused looks and Briar rolls her eyes.

"Leo's gay. If you have a problem with that, I'll castrate you." She explains frankly.

Ah ha expressions appear on Stiles' and Derek's faces, swiftly followed by worry on Stiles'.

"You wouldn't actually-?" Stiles tries to clarify.

Briar glares at him.

"I would. Leo's basically my dad, so if you insult him I'm not going to hold back. Am I clear?"

"Crystal." Stiles gulps.

Derek huffs but nods in understanding, a flicker of jealousy inside him as he watches her interact with her family overseas. Leo reappears on screen, Gold hovering behind him with a happy smirk.

"_We'll let Mr. Chen know what happened today, so expect a nice long chat with him and everyone else tomorrow. Don't get into too much trouble Briar."_ He warns her.

Briar nods.

"Ho ak, Leo. Give everyone my best and tell Michael to step it up or I'll leave him eating my dust."

Leo and Gold laugh, nodding.

"_Got it. Goodbye, Briar."_ They chorus.

"Zài jiàn." She murmurs before ending the call.

Briar packs up her laptop and then starts wiping up the mess. Stiles, after Derek glares at him, dumps the bowl and its' contents into the sink. Derek cleans himself up, grimacing at the disgusting remnants of the poison. It's this scene that Scott rushes into, triumphantly holding the bullet.

"I got it! Stiles, I got-!" He stops, staring at the strangely relaxed scene.

Briar waggles her fingers in greeting.

"Nǐ hǎo~!" She sings, hoisting her backpack over her shoulder.

Scott blinks and blinks again.

"What happened?" He finally asks.

"Briar did magical bullshit with her glowing hands and made all the poison leave Sour Wolf's body. It was gross." Stiles sums up.

Briar sighs, shaking her head.

"Not magic, Stiles." She corrects him.

"Then what do you call it?!" Stiles yells, throwing his hands into the air.

Briar snorts.

"Chi manipulation. Look it up. Now, I have other shit to do, so I would love a ride home…" She hints heavily.

"Wait," Scott commands, glaring at Derek.

"We saved your life, so you're going to leave us alone from now on. Got that?" Scott asks.

Derek and Briar share incredulous glances before looking at Scott.

"I said it before and I'm saying it again. Shǎ zi." She says flatly.

"What does that even mean?!" Stiles whines.

"It means 'blockhead'. And it suits, considering your brain is as thick as a piece of wood!" Briar snaps, advancing on Scott.

"Do you even think? Did you even consider all the consequences before asking that?! Or are you so invested in your one-upmanship to throw common sense out the window?!" Briar roars, getting right into Scott's face.

He instinctively wolfs out and Briar **snarls** at him, the sound reverberating throughout the room as her irises glow a deep amber. Scott flinches and reverts back to human, sweating as he backs away from her. Stiles' jaw drops and even Derek is impressed. Scott stares at her, slightly terrified.

"Wh-what the hell are you?" Scott whispers.

Briar scoffs, her hand propped on her hip.

"Not the scariest thing in this world." She answers in a round-about manner.

Scott glares at her.

"Oh, like you know so much!" He snaps.

Briar's eyes flash with ugly emotions. She forces herself to breathe deeply to control her urge to tear his stupid face off. Derek eyes her warily while Stiles tries to stay out of the line of fire. When she feels slightly more in control, Briar speaks.

"… I don't know everything, Scott. I freely admit that and more importantly, I'm willing to ask for help when I need it. It's how I survived." She tells him flatly.

"There's shit out there that makes the Alpha look like a harmless puppy in comparison- monsters in the truest sense of the word. Because of my heritage I was always going to be dragged into the supernatural world- I was lucky my sifu were the ones that found my twin and I, and not the monsters, human and otherwise. So my advice is don't turn away someone that can give you an edge in surviving- you need it. Do you need to trust them blindly? No, obviously not, but don't be a complete dumbass about it. I'll see myself out." She says coldly.

The three males watch silently as Briar stalks out the door and vanishes into the night with a loud slam. Stiles looks over at Scott.

"… not your proudest moment, Scotty."

Derek nods, agreeing with Stiles in a rare moment of solidarity. Scott looks torn between regret and fear and hopelessly looks at Stiles for help.

"I didn't mean to-"

"I know Scotty. I know." Stiles sighs, rubbing his forehead.

_Next night…_

Briar yawns as she sits in the back of Jackson's car, wondering when the hell they can go home. Lydia and Jackson are arguing about what movie to watch but Briar had tuned out ages ago.

"I'm not watching the Notebook again!" Jackson snaps.

Lydia simply looks at him. Jackson wavers then gives in with profound grumbling. Briar perks up and leaps for the chance to speed things along.

"Where are you going?" Lydia asks.

"I'm gonna see if they have Ip Man or Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." She replies.

Lydia purses her lips but nods. Briar darts inside the store with a sigh, spotting Jackson easily. He glances back at her and furrow his brow.

"If Lydia-"

"I'm not here for Lydia." Briar cuts him off harshly as she heads for the foreign films.

Jackson raises his eyebrows.

"You're grumpy." He notes as he tries to find the Notebook.

"Fucking deal with it." Briar says coldly.

"Is there anyone here?" Jackson calls out.

Briar stalks through the store and pauses when she sees one of the overhead lights is hanging down with a ladder beneath it. Unease trickles down her spine and the little hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

_Not right._ Her intuition whispers.

Briar instinctively softens her steps as she prowls closer, Jackson off to one side but close. A metallic scent catches her attention and Briar pauses. Jackson has no compunctions as he walks closer and then stills in horror, confirming her suspicions.

_Blood. Another attack._

Briar immediately scans their surroundings for threats just as the lights go out. A flash of red eyes confirms her guess and Briar shoves Jackson down one aisle as she dives for the other. Jackson stares at her and Briar holds one finger up to her lips, indicating silence. He nods hesitantly. Shelves rattle as the Alpha moves around near the back of the store.

Jackson peeks around the corner, ignoring Briar's silent head shakes not to. Suddenly the shelves on Jackson's side of the aisle start toppling over and traps Jackson's legs. Briar suppresses the urge to growl as she palms a throwing knife. Heavy breathing tells Briar the Alpha is close, so she calms her own, meditating as she waits.

She doesn't have to wait long as the Alpha stands over Jackson, who is staying still in a vain hope of remaining unnoticed. He starts to slide his claws under Jackson's coat collar, leaning closer as his maw opens. Briar doesn't hesitate.

The throwing knife slices across the Alpha's nose and fails to lodge properly in his right eye. He roars and runs away, the window breaking as he crashes through it. Lydia screams loudly outside but Briar knows leaving Jackson helpless isn't the right move, as much as she wants to rush out to reassure her cousin. So she grimly lifts the shelf enough for Jackson to wiggle free, collects her knife and helps him outside. Lydia is shaking, her eyes unseeing as she clutches her phone tightly.

Briar tugs Lydia's car door open and pulls Lydia into a hug.

"Shh, Lydia, shh, it's gone. It's okay, you're alright now."

"B-Briar?" Lydia whimpers, her body trembling violently.

"Yeah, it's me." Briar tells her, petting her hair.

"It-it came out of the s-store. Are you-?"

"I'm good. So is Jackson. Listen, Lydia, but we need you to be the badass you truly are and call the police, okay? Tell them there was an attack at the video store."

Lydia's green eyes finally focus on Briar and she nods, biting her lip as she dials 911. Briar smiles at her and pats her head before going over to check Jackson. He is also shaking and Briar conceals a frown when she spots blood dripping down the back of his neck.

"Lydia's calling 911- make sure to let the paramedics check you over." She tells him softly.

Jackson glances at her then away, fidgeting.

"Do you always carry knives?" He deflects.

Briar shrugs.

"Sometimes. There's a lot of gang activity in Hong Kong, so I got in the habit."

"… I guess it was a good thing you brought them tonight." Jackson mumbles.

Briar chuckles.

"I guess so." She murmurs.

They stand in silence as the wails of police and ambulance sirens scream in the distance. The next bit is a blur, but Briar has done this before. She keeps her answers vague concerning the appearance of their attacker, never outright saying what she saw. Or what she didn't see, for that matter. Lying with the truth is always the best way to go. Emma and Mr. Chen had taught her that.

On the rooftop of the video store Briar notices Derek and Scott but she doesn't look at them. Her job is done, she protected Lydia and Jackson. The fucking werewolves can deal with their own thrice-cursed mess for the next 36 hours.

When the Sheriff releases them, Briar takes Lydia home and curls up with her on Lydia's bed, petting her hair until she falls fitfully asleep. When Lydia wakes up screaming, Briar hugs her and murmurs assurances as she sobs. Cynthia pokes her head in and joins them when Briar beckons, joining the cuddle pile on Lydia's bed.

None of them really sleep that night, so when Bai Hu comes to fetch Briar she is incredibly grumpy and all too willing to spar for hours straight. It's near the end of her mandatory visit that Bai Hu has enough of her attitude.

"Two Nine Eight, what the hell is wrong with you? You're unfocused and sloppy!" He snaps, glaring at her.

Briar grits her teeth tightly.

"It's Briar, **sir.** It's nothing I won't handle." She answers curtly.

Bai Hu rolls his eyes.

"Bullshit. You've been distracted the entire visit. Out with it!" He barks, folding his arms.

Briar narrows her eyes but sheathes her sword, knowing Bai Hu wouldn't continue the spar until he got some answers.

"… There's a werewolf Alpha causing trouble in Beacon Hills. Last night my cousin, her boyfriend and I stumbled on one of his recent kills. He was still around and nearly attacked them." She finally tells him.

Bai Hu raises his bushy white eyebrows.

"I'm assuming you drove him off?"

Briar nods sharply.

"Good. Werewolves respect power and resolve to use it. Show him you are not someone to screw with and the fucker should get the message." Bai Hu tells her.

Briar pushes her hair out of her face and grimaces.

"It's not that- I'm confident I can beat or kill him if needed. My cousin is traumatized and barely holding together and I have no clue how to help her beyond holding her when she's screaming from nightmares." Briar groans.

Bai Hu hums awkwardly.

"Ah… Perhaps you should ask Mercy..?" He eventually offers.

Briar purses her lips thoughtfully.

_That's… actually not a bad idea._

She nods and gives a salute.

"By your leave, Father."

He waves her off, oddly relieved.

"Hang on, I'll call her to see if she can meet you." He offers.

Briar hesitates and Bai Hu knows it shouldn't bother him that one of his children is so obviously reluctant to have anything to do with him. It shouldn't, after living for over three thousand years and seeing his children born, grow up then die over and over again. But it does. If only because she reminds him so sharply of her mother.

_Figures the one woman who challenges me is also the only one who left._ He reminisces before turning his attention to speaking with his fellow Shen.

…

Bai Hu turns to Briar and gives her a proud smirk.

"You're in luck, Mercy is available. She will be here soon, so go ahead and wash up and meet us at the pool."

Briar nods and walks off into the depths of the palace, the Indian and Arabic styled architecture giving the place an exotic feel. As she navigates the hallways hot desert air changes to cool as Briar makes her way to the Turkish baths. Soon enough she hears splashing and mentally groans, guessing who she is going to be sharing with. After disrobing, Briar walks in to see about fifteen woman ranging from their early twenties to late thirties lounging in the steaming water.

Collectively they all zero in on her with predatory interest, which Briar ignores as she uses one of the mini-shower heads to clean the dirt off. A buzz of conversation strikes up behind her then the dreaded questions start.

"Hey there, I haven't seen you around before." One of the younger woman greets her.

Briar side-eyes her as she shampoos her hair.

"I'm not here often." She states bluntly.

"How old are you?" Another woman calls.

_Not your business!_ Briar wants to snarl, but she restrains her temper as she dunks water on herself.

"Sixteen." She says flatly.

The women titter.

"You're a bit young to be here, aren't you?" Yet another of Bai Hu's wives pries tactlessly.

Briar shoots her a level stare.

"I don't want to have sex or a relationship with my own father." Briar's voice cuts through the chatter easily.

The woman flushes but Briar is already leaving before she hears the insincere apologies. She pulls on the loose pants and fitted tank top she had packed, stalking through the hallways until she finds Bai Hu lounging next the pool. Next to him in a lounge chair is Miss Mercy, wearing a white swimsuit and a straw hat. Her eyes sparkle warmly as she stands and greets Briar, kissing her cheek. Briar relaxes, tension seeping out of her as she hugs Kwan Yin back.

Then she steps back, kneels and gives a formal salute.

"This one greets Kwan Yin." She formally greets the goddess.

Miss Mercy stamps her foot in annoyance.

"Briar MacLaren! Stand up this instant!" She scolds her.

Briar shoots her a cheeky grin as she does so. Kwan Yin huffs before gesturing for Briar to join her on the chair beside hers.

"Come. Your rascal of a father said you needed to speak with me."

Briar nods and when a demon servant swings by requests a chilled ice tea. Kwan Yin waits patiently for Briar to tell her story and eventually she does. Words spill out about the mess Beacon Hills had become and how she's trying to minimize the damage. She speaks of the multiple attacks, the way Scott is being targeted and how Lydia had been dragged into the middle of it. Kwan Yin lets Briar talk without interruptions, feeling sorrow for the young woman as she continues taking on burdens in a place she was supposed to be free of them.

"I guess I don't want Lydia to be scared like this." Briar finally admits, not meeting Kwan Yin's knowing gaze.

Kwan yin hums in understanding, patting her hand.

"You feel helpless and you don't know how best to fix the situation." She murmurs.

Briar nods curtly. Kwan Yin sighs and makes Briar look her directly in the eyes with a gentle tug on her chin.

"Briar, listen to me carefully. You have done nothing to be ashamed of. No, _listen._" She cuts her off.

"You cannot save everyone, Briar. You can only do your best and hope it is enough. And there will be times that it isn't enough. Those times will be the hardest and you will want to blame yourself for everything that went wrong. But you will need to keep going for those who still need you. So focus on what you **can** do, not what you could not do."

"Right. Right. I can do that… probably." Briar mumbles.

Kwan Yin gives her a knowing look. Briar sighs and pushes her hair out of her face with a frown.

"I'm wondering if I should tell Lydia the truth- she saw the Alpha and I doubt she'll fail to notice how odd I am given enough time… And I don't _want_ to hide from her, but I also don't want her in more danger than she is. Ugh! Now I know how Mr. Chen felt about Lady Emma." Briar groans.

"Mhm." Kwan Yin hums, not hiding her amusement.

Briar leans her head backwards before nodding.

"I could just ask her; she's not stupid and make the decision for herself." Briar decides.

Kwan Yin smiles in approval and they relax, finishing their tea before Briar is called back to the Earthly Plane.


End file.
